Generalised pairs in birational geometry (Q1983974)

The author discusses generalized pairs and their role in higher dimensional birational geometry. Recall that a generalised pair consists of a normal variety \(X\), a \(\mathbb{Q}\)-divisor \(B\) on \(X\), a birational morphism \(\phi :X'\to X\) and a nef \(\mathbb{Q}\)-Cartier divisor \(M'\) on \(X'\) such that \(K_X+B+M\) is \(\mathbb{Q}\)-Cartier. Generalised pairs generalise the usual notion of pairs that arise in the context of the minimal model program. This paper gives an introduction to generalised pairs highlighting aspects of their history, their applications and open problems for future research.