Principal bundles on projective varieties and the Donaldson-Uhlenbeck compactification (Q2372249)

The main aim of this paper is the construction of a natural compactification of the moduli space of \(\mu\)-semi-stable principle \(H\)-bundles on a smooth complex projective surface, where \(H\) is a simple algebraic group. This generalises \textit{J. Li}'s algebro-geometric construction of the Donaldson-Uhlenbeck compactification of the moduli space of semi-stable vector bundles on surfaces [J. Differ. Geom. 37, No.~2, 417--466 (1993; Zbl 0809.14006); in: Collection of papers on geometry, analysis and mathematical physics. In honor of Professor Gu Chaohao. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing. 98-113 (1997; Zbl 1032.14500)]. The notion of semi-stability for principal bundles was introduced by \textit{A. Ramanathan} [Proc. Indian Acad. Sci., Math. Sci. 106, No.~3, 301--328 (1996; Zbl 0901.14007) and Proc. Indian Acad. Sci., Math. Sci. 106, No.~4, 421--449 (1996; Zbl 0901.14008)]. The compact moduli spaces constructed in this paper parametrise \(\mu\)-semi-stable \(H\)-quasi-bundles, a notion introduced by \textit{A. H. W. Schmitt} under the name of singular principal bundles [Int. Math. Res. Not. 2002, No. 23, 1183--1209 (2002; Zbl 1034.14017)]. These objects play the same role as the semi-stable torsion free sheaves play in the compactification of the moduli space of semi-stable vector bundles. Because the moduli space in not obtained by a GIT construction, projectivity does not follow automatically. The crucial ingredient to show compactness is the semi-stable reduction theorem for \(\mu\)-semi-stable \(H\)-quasi-bundles, which is the second main result of the paper under review. It generalises a result of \textit{S. G. Langton} for torsion free sheaves [Ann. Math. (2) 101, 88--110 (1975; Zbl 0307.14007)]. However, unlike in the case of torsion free sheaves, the problem is no longer purely sheaf-theoretic. Here the author has to overcome the difficulties related to the fact that the given reductive group may become non-reductive in the limit. The semi-stable reduction theorem is shown here for \(\mu\)-semi-stable \(H\)-quasi-bundles over a smooth projective variety of any dimension and \(H\) being semi-simple. The case of curves was studied by the author and \textit{C. S. Seshadri} [J. Algebra 258, No.~1, 321--347 (2002; Zbl 1099.14502)]. In the final section, the author shows the non-emptiness of the moduli space of \(\mu\)-stable principal \(H\)-bundles with large characteristic class over a smooth projective surface. Together with a description of the points of the compactified moduli space in terms of principal bundles and cycles on the surface, also given in this paper, this may serve as the foundation for a theory of Donaldson's polynomial invariants with general structure group.