Smooth varieties of almost minimal degree (Q2382981)

A projective variety \(X\subset\mathbb P^r\) of dimension \(n\), must have degree \(d\geq (r-n)+1\), unless it is contained in some hyperplane, i.e. it is degenerate. Non-degenerate varieties of minimal degree are known to be linearly normal: they are not isomorphic projection of non-degenerate varieties sitting in higher dimensional projective spaces. The author considers smooth varieties \(X\) of minimal degree, which can be isomorphically projected to \(\mathbb P^{r-1}\). The image \(X'\) is a smooth, non--linearly normal variety of almost minimal degree, i.e. its degree equals the codimension plus two. An example is the Veronese surface in \(\mathbb P^5\), which can be isomorphically projected to \(\mathbb P^4\). Of course, \(X\) can be isomorphically projected if and only if its secant variety does not fill the ambient space. In this case, the projection \(X'\) is either a Veronese surface in \(\mathbb P^4\) or it lies in some rational normal scroll. Using properties of the scroll, the author studies the Betti numbers of \(X'\), the degrees of the generators of the ideal and some properties of its resolution, as the \(\tilde N_p\) property.