Extending rationally connected fibrations from ample subvarieties (Q2162756)

\textit{A. J. Sommese} [Math. Ann. 221, 55--72 (1976; Zbl 0306.14006)] conjectured that, given a smooth complex variety \(X\) and a smooth subvariety \(Y \subset X\) of codimension \(r\), a morphism \(\pi : Y \rightarrow Z\) extends to a morphism \(\tilde{\pi} : X \rightarrow Z\) if \(Y\) is defined by a regular section of an ample vector bundle on X and \(\dim Y - \dim Z > r\). The case \(r=1\) was proved in the same paper. In the paper under review, the authors investigate Sommese's conjecture in the more general setting of ample subvarieties as defined by \textit{J. C. Ottem} [Adv. Math. 229, No. 5, 2868--2887 (2012; Zbl 1285.14006)], which includes subvarieties defined by regular sections of ample vector bundles. Namely, they prove the conjecture when \(\pi : Y \rightarrow Z\) is a smooth morphism with rationally connected fibers. The result is achieved using deformation of rational curves (a setting explored by \textit{M. C. Beltrametti} et al. [Math. Ann. 341, No. 4, 897--926 (2008; Zbl 1171.14008)]) and a Grothendieck-Lefschetz type theorem for ample subvarieties (proved by the two authors in [Math. Z. 300, No. 4, 3319--3336 (2022; Zbl 1484.14017)]). Under extra assumptions on the Picard groups (i.e. surjectivity of the map \(\mathrm{Pic} (X) \rightarrow \mathrm{Pic} (Y)\)), the conjecture is verified when \(\pi : Y \rightarrow Z\) a projective bundle or a quadric fibration with integral fibers. Even more, they prove that the extension morphism \(\tilde{\pi }: X \rightarrow Z\) is a projective bundle or a quadric fibration with integral fibers, providing an interesting structure theorem.