Dependence of Lyubeznik numbers of cones of projective schemes on projective embeddings (Q2226038)

Let \(X\) be a projective scheme over \(\mathbb{C}\) with a very ample line bundle \(\mathcal{L}\), and let \(\mathcal{C}\) be the cone of \(X\) associated with \(\mathcal{L}\). Let \(x_{1},\dots,x_{n}\) be the projective coordinates of \(\mathbb{P}^{n-1}(\mathbb{C})\) such that \(X\subseteq \mathbb{P}^{n-1}(\mathbb{C})\) and \(\mathcal{O}_{\mathbb{P}^{n-1}(\mathbb{C})}(1)\vert_{X}=\mathcal{L}\), and let \(\mathfrak{a} \subseteq R=\mathbb{C}[x_{1},\dots,x_{n}]\) be the defining ideal of \(\mathcal{C}\subseteq \mathbb{A}^{n}_{\mathbb{C}}\). Then the Lyubeznik numbers of \(\mathcal{C}\) are defined as \[\lambda_{i,j}(\mathcal{C}):= \dim_{\mathbb{C}} \mathrm{Ext}_{R}^{i}\left(\mathbb{C},H_{\mathfrak{a}}^{n-j}(R)\right)\] for every \(i,j \geq 0\). The authors specify a technical condition that implies the dependence of the Lyubeznik numbers \(\lambda_{i,j}(\mathcal{C})\) on the choice of \(\mathcal{L}\). Using this result, they prove that if \(k\) is a field of characteristic \(0\), then there exist projective schemes over \(k\) such that the Lyubeznik numbers \(\lambda_{i,j}(\mathcal{C})\) of their cone \(\mathcal{C}\) depend on their projective embeddings. This answers a question of [\textit{G. Lyubeznik}, Lect. Notes Pure Appl. Math. 226, 121--154 (2002; Zbl 1061.14005), p. 133] negatively. The striking feature of this result is that it contrasts entirely the positive characteristic case where the machinery of Frobenius endomorphism is available; see [\textit{L. Núñez-Betancourt} et al., Contemp. Math. 657, 137--163 (2016; Zbl 1346.13035)] and [\textit{W. Zhang}, Adv. Math. 228, No. 1, 575--616 (2011; Zbl 1235.13012)].