On the sectional irregularity of congruences (Q1922566)

Let \(G=G(2,4) \subset \mathbb{P}^5\) be the Grassmann variety of lines in the projective space \(\mathbb{P}^3\) over an algebraically closed field of characteristic 0. A congruence is an integral surface \(X\subset G\). The Chow class of a surface of \(G\), is given by its bidegree \((d,d')\), i.e. the intersection number \(d\) with a generic \(\alpha\)-plane, and the intersection number \(d'\) with a generic \(\alpha'\)-plane; the Chow class of a ruled surface of \(\mathbb{P}^3\), or curve of \(G\), is given by the intersection number of the curve with a generic special line complex which is clearly the degree of the corresponding ruled surface in \(\mathbb{P}^3\). The genus of this curve is the irregularity of the surface. -- We define the sectional irregularity \(q\) of the congruence to be the genus of the curve in \(G\) that we obtain as intersection \(Y=X \cap \mathbb{P}^4\) with a generic \(\mathbb{P}^4 \subset \mathbb{P}^5\), i.e. it is the irregularity of the corresponding ruled surface in \(\mathbb{P}^3\). The distribution of the bidegrees of smooth surfaces in \(G\) was studied by \textit{M. Gross} [Math. Ann. 292, No. 1, 127-147 (1992; Zbl 0741.14017)] using as an essential tool a bound for the sectional irregularity. Then, the need of deriving sharp bounds for the sectional irregularity, both in terms of the bidegree \((d,d')\) and in terms of the total degree \(\overline d=d+d'\) is clear. In this paper we obtain such bounds and prove the following theorem: Let \(X\) be a congruence of bidegree \((d,d')\) and degree \(\overline d=d+ d'\) not contained in a complex of degree \(<s\). 1. If \(\overline d>2s (s+1)\) then the ruled surface consisting of all lines of the congruence \(X\) meeting a general line of \(\mathbb{P}^3\) has irregularity \(q\leq B(\overline d,s)\) where \[ \begin{alignedat}{2} B(\overline d,s)= & 1+{{\overline d^2\over 2} +s (s-3)d \over 2s}-(s-r)\left ({r\over 2}- {r\over 4s}+ {1\over 4}\right) \quad && \text{if } t\text{ is odd}, \\ B(\overline d,s)= & 1+{{\overline d^2 \over 2}+s(s-3) d\over 2s}- {r^2\over 4s} -{r(s-r) \over 2} \quad && \text{if } t\text{ is even} \end{alignedat} \] with \(\overline d=st-r\), \(0\leq r<s\). 2. If \(d>s (s+1)\), \(d'<s(s+1)\) then, the ruled surface consisting of all lines of the congruence \(X\) meeting a general line of \(\mathbb{P}^3\) has irregularity \(q\leq B(d,d',s)\) where \[ \begin{multlined} B(d,d',s)= 1+{d \over 2}\left(s +{d\over s}- 4\right)- {r(s-r)(s-1) \over 2s}+\\ +1+ {d'\over 2} \left(s+ {d'\over s}-4 \right) -{r'(s-r')(s-1) \over 2s}+ \min\{d,d'\}-1 \end{multlined} \] with \(d=st-r\), \(0\leq r<s\) and \(d'=st'-r'\), \(0\leq r'<s\).