On the construction of weakly Ulrich bundles (Q2656119)

Ulrich bundles \(\mathcal{E}\) on a polarized algebraic variety \((X, \mathcal{O}_X(1))\) of dimension \(d\) are defined by the following conditions: \(H^i(\mathcal{E}(-j))=0\) for \(i=0,\dots,d\) and \(j=1,\dots,d\). Equivalently, they are arithmetically Cohen-Macaulay bundles such that \(0=H^0(\mathcal{E}(-1))\) and \(H^0(\mathcal{E})=\deg(X,\mathcal{O}_X(1)).\operatorname{rank}(\mathcal{E})\), the maximal permitted number of global sections. \textit{D. Eisenbud} and \textit{F.-O. Schreyer} [J. Am. Math. Soc. 16, No. 3, 537--575, appendix 576--579 (2003; Zbl 1069.14019)] asked whether any polarized variety \((X,\mathcal{O}_X(1))\) supports an Ulrich bundle. Ever since this question was raised, a lot of research has been devoted to the construction of such bundles. In the paper under review, the author deals with a slightly weaker class of bundles: the almost Ulrich bundles, defined as aCM bundles with a few less cohomology vanishings than in the Ulrich case. In any case, their existence on an ambience polarized variety \((X,\mathcal{O}_X(1))\) has strong consequences, as it can be the fact that the Chow form of \(X\) (with respect to this polarization) is the support of a single determinantal equation. The author constructs, in characteristic \(p>0\), almost Ulrich bundles of large rank on smooth surfaces of \(\mathbb{P}^3\), for some classes of surface of general type and for Frobenius split varieties of dimension at least three.