Alignment correspondences (Q1882985)

Let \(X\) be a smooth, proper variety of dimension \(n\) over an arbitrary field \(K\). The author studies the space \(U(I_1,\dots, I_r)=\{(a_1,\dots, a_r)\in U(I_1)\times \cdots \times U(I_r): \exists p\in X\) and an isomorphism \(\varphi:R\to \widehat{\mathcal O}_{X,p}\) with \(\varphi(I_1,\dots, I_r)=(a_1,\dots, a_r)\}\), where \(I_1,\dots, I_r\) are ideals of \(R=K[[x_1,\dots, x_n]]\). The closure of \(U(I_1,\dots, I_r)\) in the appropriate product of Hilbert schemes is denoted by \(C(I_1,\dots, I_r)\). If \(I_j\) is a monomial ideal of finite colength, then the space \(C(I_1,\dots, I_r)\) is called an alignment correspondence with interior \(U(I_1,\dots, I_r)\). Alignment correspondences are named for their connection to aligned schemes. The interior of an alignment correspondence can be thought of as a generalization of a jet-bundle. Let \(I_1,\dots, I_r\) be a sequence of monomial ideals of finite colength in \(R\). For each integer between \(1\) and \(n\), let \(A_i\) be the ideal generated by the images of \(x_i\) under automorphisms of \(R\) fixing each \(x_j\) for \(i\neq j\) and stabilizing each \(I_k\). The sequence \(A_1,\dots, A_n\) is said to be the measuring sequence of the sequence of ideals \(I_1,\dots, I_r\). Each ideal \(A_i\) in a measuring sequence is a monomial ideal (see proposition 3.1 of the paper). The main result proven in section 3 is Theorem 3.1. Let \(G(I_1,\dots, I_r)\) denote the group of automorphisms of \(R\) stabilizing the sequence \(I_1,\dots, I_r\). Let \(A_1,\dots, A_n\) be the measuring sequence of \(I_1,\dots, I_r\), and let \(B_1,\dots, B_m\) be a nested sequence of monomial ideals containing \(\mathfrak m^2\) such that \(G(A_1,\dots, A_n)\) is contained in \(G(B_1,\dots, B_m)\) and \(m\) is maximal. Let \(B\) denote the variety \(C(B_1,\dots, B_m)\). Let \(G(B)\) denote the group \(G(B_1,\dots, B_m)\) and \(C(I_1,\dots, I_r, B)\) denote the variety \(C(I_1,\dots, I_r, B_1,\dots, B_m)\). Then (1) The variety \(B\) is a generalized flag bundle of the tangent bundle of \(X\). (2) The space \(U(A_1,\dots, A_n)\) is a locally trivial bundle over \(B\). (3) The space \(U(I_1,\dots, I_r)\) is the quotient of \(U(A_1,\dots, A_n)\) by the finite subgroup of \(G(I_1,\dots, I_r)\) permuting the \(x_i\)'s. (4) The compatification \(C(I_1,\dots, I_r,B)\) of \(U(A_1,\dots, A_r)\) is a fiber bundle over \(B\). (5) The dimension of \(C(I_1,\dots, I_r)\) is the sum of the colengths of the \(A_i\)'s plus a constant depending on \(B\). For \(n\leq 3\), or \(B\) a complete flag bundle, this constant is zero. The author constructs universal alignment correspondences for certain measuring sequences in theorem 4.3. It is also shown, in theorem 4.2, that there is no universal alignment correspondence for most of the remaining measuring sequences. As indicated in the introduction, this paper is motivated by applications to enumerative problems and the question of studying how families of schemes can degenerate. An application of this paper to counting numbers of curves in linear series on algebraic surfaces with a given type of singularity can be found in the paper of the author [Adv. Math. 179, No. 1, 38--58 (2003; Zbl 1029.14019)].