Unstable products of smooth curves (Q2502043)

The author proves that for certain algebraic curves \(C\) of genus at least five, the selfproduct \(X=C\times C\) is not slope semistable with respect to some polarizations. Here the notion of slope semistability is defined in terms of Seshadri constants and Hilbert polynomials attached to blowing ups of subschemes \(Z\) of \(X\). The proof relies on properties of the ample cone for the the surface \(X=C\times C\). The subscheme \(Z\) responsible for the failure of slope semistability is constructed as the complement of the diagonal inside the relative diagonal for some map from \(C\) to the projective line. The result has two consequences: First, the polarized surface \(X\) is not asymptotically Hilbert stable. This means that there are arbitrarily large powers of the polarization so that the point defined by \(X\) in the Hilbert scheme of the ambient projective space is not stable in the sense of GIT. This hinges on a criterion of the author and \textit{R. P. Thomas} [J. Algebr. Geom. 16, No. 2, 201--255 (2007; Zbl 1200.14095)]. Second, there are Kähler classes on the surface \(X\) that do not admit Kähler metrics of constant scalar curvature. This application relies on \textit{S. K. Donaldsons} result on \(K\)-semistability [J. Differ. Geom. 70, 453--472 (2005; Zbl 1149.53042)].