Characterization of the 4-canonical birationality of algebraic threefolds (Q2471027)

Let \(X\) be an \(n\)-dimensional smooth projective variety of general type. Then by definition the map \(\phi_m\) defined by \(mK_X\) is birational for \(m\) sufficiently large. It is known [\textit{C. D. Hacon} and \textit{J. McKernan}, Invent. Math. 166, No. 1, 1--25 (2006; Zbl 1121.14009); \textit{S. Takayama}, Invent. Math. 165, No. 3, 551--587 (2006; Zbl 1108.14031)] that one may choose \(m\) uniformly for any \(n\) and it is therefore natural to investigate the possible values of such \(m\). In the case of surfaces, \(\phi_m\) is birational for \(m \geq 5\) [\textit{E. Bombieri}, Publ. Math., Inst. Hautes Étud. Sci. 42, 171--219 (1972; Zbl 0259.14005)]. In the case of 3-folds, there are estimates of \(m\) obtained by Tsuji but they are quite large. However, things are much better under some numerical restrictions on \(X\). It is known that \(\phi_5\) is birational if \(p_g(X) \geq 4\) [\textit{M. Chen}, Int. J. Math. 14, No. 5, 515--528 (2003; Zbl 1070.14009)], \(K_X^3 >>0\) (Todorov) or \(X\) is Gorenstein [\textit{J. A. Chen, M. Chen, De-Qi Zhang}, J. Reine Angew. Math. 603, 165--181 (2007; Zbl 1121.14029)]. The paper under review studies the 4-canonical map \(\phi_4\) in the case of 3-folds. The authors prove that if \(X\) is a minimal projective 3-fold with \(\mathbb{Q}\)-factorial terminal singularities and \(p_g(X) \geq 5\), then, (i) The 4-canonical map \(\phi_4\) is generically finite of degree \(\leq 2\). (ii) \(\phi_4\) is not birational if and only if \(X\) is birationally fibred by a family \(\mathcal{C}\) of irreducible curves of geometric genus 2 with \(K_X \cdot C_0 =1\), for a general member \(C_0\) in \(\mathcal{C}\). Moreover, the family \(\mathcal{C}\) is birationally uniquely determined by \(X\). The condition \(p_g(X)\geq 5\) is optimal as shown by an example. As an application of the main theorem, it is shown that \(\phi_4\) is not birational if either \(K_X^3 < 4/3(p_g(X)-2)\) and \(p_g(X) \notin [3,11]\), or \(X\) is Gorenstein and \(K_X^3 < 2p_g(X)-6\). Finally the authors conjecture that for a minimal projective 3-fold \(X\) with \(\mathbb{Q}\)-factorial terminal singularities, \(\phi_4\) is not birational if and only if \(X\) is birationally fibred with surfaces with \(c_1^2=1\) and \(p_g = 2\), and sufficient conditions are given for \(X\) to admit such a fibration.