An explicit non-smoothable component of the compactified Jacobian (Q1950637)

Consider a projective irreducible curve \(X\) of genus \(g\) over an algebraically closed field. Its generalized Jacobian variety \(\mathrm{Pic}^{0}\) parametrizes invertible sheaves on \(X\) of degree zero and it is an extension of an abelian variety by a commutative affine group. The \textit{ {compactified Jacobian}} \(\overline{\mathrm{Jac}}^{d}\) is the moduli space of rank \(1\), torsion-free sheaves of degree \(d\) on \(X\). \(\overline{\mathrm{Jac}}^{d}\) has been extensively studied by \textit{A. Altman} and \textit{S. Kleiman}, see [Bull. Am. Math. Soc. 82, 947--949 (1976; Zbl 0336.14008)]. Of course when \(X\) is non singular then \(\overline{\mathrm{Jac}}^{0} = \mathrm{Pic}^0\) is the classical Jacobian, an abelian variety of dimension \(g\), and \(\overline{\mathrm{Jac}}^{d}= \mathrm{Pic}^d\) is a principal homogeneous space for it. Now \textit{A. B. Altman, A. Iarrobino} and \textit{S. L. Kleiman} in [Real and complex singularities, Proc. Ninth Nordic Summer School/NAVF Sympos. Math., Oslo, 1976, 1--12 (1977; Zbl 0415.14014)] prove that \(\overline{\mathrm{Jac}}^{d}\) is a connected projective variety, which is reducible precisely when \(X\) has non-planar singularities. There is a natural irreducible component, of dimension \(g\), called the \textit{smoothable} component, it is the closure of \(\mathrm{Pic}^{d}\). The present paper deals with the issue of the further components, by studying the special situation when \textit{ { \(X\) is a curve with a unique and non-Gorenstein singularity at \(p_0\)}}. In this setting the dualizing sheaf \(\omega_X\) is of rank \(1\) but not a line bundle. The first main result in the paper says that the closure of the orbit of the action of \(\mathrm{Pic}^{d-(2g-2)}\) on \(\omega_X\) is an irreducible component in \(\overline{\mathrm{Jac}}^{d}\), which is generically reduced and it is of dimension \(g\). The second main result of Kass states that this one is the only non-smoothable component when the unique singularity is \textit{of finite representation type}. By definition this requirement is the property that the completed local ring \(R\) of \(p_0\) has only finitely many isomorphism classes of indecomposable maximal Cohen-Macaulay modules. Such rings \(R\) and the corresponding modules have been studied and explicitly catalogued by \textit{G.-M. Greuel} and \textit{H. Knörrer} [Math. Ann. 270, 417-425 (1985; Zbl 0553.14011)]. The important fact is that \(R\) has finite r.t. if and only if it dominates the local ring \(R'\) of a simple plane curve singularity of Arnol'd's type. The author uses their classification by creating an induction procedure which depends on the complexity of the singularity. In this way he reduces the problem to a matter of deformation for a finite list of specific modules. The deformation is finally accomplished by means of careful, detailed and quite concrete computations for each one of the cases in the appropriate roster. Parallel results are proven also for the companion Hilbert scheme of points and the Quot scheme parameterizing quotients of the dualizing sheaf.