Apolarity and covariant forms (Q2382931)

Let \(k\) be a field of characteristic zero and \(A\) be a \(k\)-algebra. A homogeneous polynomial \(f(x,y)\in A[x,y]\) is called a binary form. For two forms \(f\) and \(g\) define the \(r\)th transvectant by \[ P^{(r)}(f,g)=\sum_{j=0}^r (-1)^j{r \choose j} \frac{\partial^r f}{\partial x^{r-j}\partial y^{j}} \frac{\partial^r g}{\partial x^j\partial y^{r-j}}. \] Let \(A=k[a_0,\dots,a_n]\) be the polynomial algebra. The standard form (of degree \(n\)) is the form \[ f_n(a_0,\dots,a_n,x,y)=\sum_{i=0}^n {n\choose i} a_ix^{n-i}y^i. \] A form \(g\in k[a_0,\dots,a_n,x,y]\) of degree \(m\) is apolar to a form \(f\) of degree \(n\), \(n\leq m\), if \(P^{(n)}(f,g)=0\). A covariant (i.e. \(\text{SL}(2)\)-invariant) form \(g\) of degree \(m\) that is apolar to the standard form \(f_n\), \(n\leq m\), is called a major apolar covariant form. If \(n\) is odd, then the standard form \(f_n\) itself is an apolar covariant form. Simple computations show that for the standard cubic there is no other apolar covariant form. Considering the quintic, there are two independent forms that are apolar: the form \(f_5\) and the Hessian (which is up to a scalar \(P^{(2)}(f_5,f_5)\)). There were the only major apolar covariants of forms of odd order that were noticed classically. The authors show that the Hessian \(P^{(2)}(f_n,f_n)\) is not an apolar covariant for the form of order \(n>5\). On the other hand, if \(n>5\) is odd, then the covariant \(P^{(2)}(f_n,P^{(n-3)}(f_n,f_n))\) is a non-zero major apolar covariant of order \(n+2\) and degree three. For \(n\) even and greater than 2, it is proved that the covariant of order \(n+2\) and degree 3, of the standard form \(f_n\) associated with the \(G_a\)-invariants arising from the minimal degree protomorphs is a major apolar covariant. Moreover, the binary octavic has a major apolar covariant of degree four and order ten.