Non-positive and negative at infinity divisorial valuations of Hirzebruch surfaces (Q1987363)

For certain problems, it is useful to consider valuations of the field of rational functions of the projective plane \(\mathbb{P}^2=\mathbb{P}_k^2\) over an algebraically closed field \(k\) centered at the local ring \(\mathcal{O}_{\mathbb{P}^2,p}\) of a closed point \(p\) in \(\mathbb{P}^2\). \textit{M. Spivakovsky} [Am. J. Math. 112, No. 1, 107--156 (1990; Zbl 0716.13003)] was the first in giving a full classification of these \textit{plane} valuations. Among those plane valuations, we have the divisorial valuations. Divisorial valuations have been profusely studied, for instance in the context of curves with only one place at the infinity treated by \textit{S. S. Abhyankar} and \textit{T.-t. Moh} [J. Reine Angew. Math. 260, 47--83 (1973; Zbl 0272.12102)]. In [Adv. Math. 290, 1040--1061 (2016; Zbl 1431.13006)], \textit{C. Galindo} and \textit{F. Monserrat} investigated a class \(\mathcal{N}\) of divisorial plane valuations \(\nu\) with a similar behaviour as those coming from curves with only one point at the infinity, namely those satisfying that \(\nu(f)\leq 0\) for every \(f\in k[x,y]\setminus \{0\}\), where \(\{x,y\}\) are the affine coordinates in the chart of points not being at the line at infinity (in which the point \(p\) lies); they named them \textit{non-positive at infinity} (divisorial) valuations. They proved that the belonging \(\nu \in \mathcal{N}\) is equivalent to the fact that the cone of curves \(NE(X)\) is regular, where \(X\) is a rational projective surface determined by \(\nu\) by a finite simple sequence of point blowing-ups starting with \(p\). In the paper under consideration, the authors extend the results from \(\mathbb{P}^2\) to a Hirzebruch surface \(\mathbb{F}_{\delta}\), with \(\delta\geq 0\). This is not straightforward. The projective plane \(\mathbb{P}^2\) can be covered by three affine charts; on the other hand, a Hirzebruch surface \(\mathbb{F}_{\delta}\) is covered by four affine charts. However, there are relations among them which allow us to restrict ourselves to consider only two, which in the end leads to the so-called (by the authors) special and non-special valuations, see Definition 3.1. The special case behaves as one might expect after the consideration of plane divisorial valuations, whereas the non-special case shows a more surprising behaviour. Non-positive at infinity valuations have a nice geometrical behaviour and make it possible to determine some global and local geometric objects linked to the valuation for which no explicit description in the general cases is known; for instance, Seshadri-related constants, Newton-Okounkov bodies of flags determined by those valuations, Cox rings of rational surfaces given by simple sequences of point blowing-ups, etc. The authors define the notion of non-positive at infinity valuation for a Hirzebruch surface for both special (Definition 3.5) and non-special (Definition 4.7) valuations. In the special resp. the non-special case they manage to prove that the cone of curves \(NE(Z)\) of a surface \(Z\) determined by the special resp. non-special valuation is finitely generated, see Theorem 3.6 resp. Theorem 4.8; they describe explicitly the generators, and give other interesting equivalent assertions. Notice that the finite generation of this cone of curves has been already considered in [\textit{B. L. De La Rosa-Navarro} et al., Rev. R. Acad. Cienc. Exactas Fís. Nat., Ser. A Mat., RACSAM 111, No. 2, 297--306 (2017; Zbl 1360.14022)] by using other techniques. The paper also contains an example with a divisorial valuation which is not non-positive at infinity on \(\mathbb{P}^2\), but it is on some Hirzebruch surfaces. More precisely: there are no non-positive at infinity plane valuations with maximal contact values \(3\), \(11\) and \(122\), but Theorem 3.6 shows in particular the existence of non-positive at infinity valuations of \(\mathbb{F}_{\delta}\), with \(\delta>1\), cf. Remark 3.10. This remark is further developed in [\textit{C. Galindo} et al., Result. Math. 76, No. 3, Paper No. 146, 16 p. (2021; Zbl 1468.14009)]; there the authors explain -- among other issues -- how non-positive at infinity valuations on \(\mathbb{P}^2\) are preserving this property when they are considered on a Hirzebruch surface.