Rational curves on general hypersurfaces of degree 7 in \(\mathbb {P}^5\) (Q2372372)

Let \(X_d\) denote a general hypersurface of degree \(d\) in \(\mathbb P^n\) over an algebraically closed field of characteristic \(0\). It is known that, if \(d\geq2n-2\) and \(n\geq4\), then \(X_d\) contains no rational curve [see \textit{H. Clemens}, Ann. Sci. Éc. Norm. Supér., IV. Sér. 19, No. 4, 629--636 (1986; Zbl 0611.14024) and \textit{C. Voisin}, J. Differ. Geom. 44, No. 1, 200--213 (1996; Zbl 0883.14022)]. On the other hand, it is classical that, if \(n\geq 3\), then \(X_{2n-3}\) always contains a line, and that the number of lines on \(X_{2n-3}\) is finite. In the above quoted paper, C. Voisin also proved that, for \(n\geq 5\), the number of rational curves on \(X_{2n-3}\) of each degree \(e\geq 1\) is finite. Moreover \textit{G. Pacienza} proved that this number is in fact \(0\) for \(e\geq 2\) and \(n\geq 6\) [J. Algebr. Geom. 12, No. 2, 245--267 (2003; Zbl 1054.14057)]. In the paper under review, the author considers the analogous problem, namely the existence of rational curves of degree \(e\geq 2\) on the hypersurfaces of degree \(7\) in \(\mathbb P^5\). He proves that \(X_7\subset \mathbb P^5\) does not contain any smooth rational curve of degree \(e\), for \(2\leq e\leq11\). The proof relies on a careful analysis of the dimension of the incidence scheme \(I_e=\{(C,X)\mid C\subset X\}\), where \(X\) varies in \(\mathbb PH^0(\mathbb P^5,\mathcal O_{\mathbb P^5}(7))\) and \(C\) in the Hilbert scheme of smooth rational curves in \(\mathbb P^5\).