Rational curves on genus-one fibrations (Q2664578)

Let \(S\) be a smooth projective complex surface that admits a relatively minimal elliptic fibration \(\pi : S \rightarrow C\) onto a smooth curve \(C\). Then it follows from Kodaira's classification of singular fibres that there exists a rational curve \(\mathbb P^1 \rightarrow S\) contained in some \(\pi\)-fibre unless all the fibres are (multiple) elliptic curves. In the latter case the surface \(S\) is a product after base change. In this paper the author proves a generalisation of this classical statement to elliptic fibrations of higher-dimensional singular varieties: let \(\pi: X \rightarrow B\) be a fibration between normal projective varieties such that the general fibre is an elliptic curve. Assume also that \(K_X \sim_{\mathbb Q} \pi^* L\) for some \(\mathbb Q\)-Cartier divisor \(L \rightarrow B\). Then there exists a rational curve \(\mathbb P^1 \rightarrow S\) contained in some \(\pi\)-fibre unless \(X\) is a finite étale quotient of a product \(\tilde B \times E\) with \(E\) an elliptic curve isomorphic to the general \(\pi\)-fibre. \newline The main theorem applies to a number of situations, for example if \(\pi\) is the Iitaka fibration of projective variety with klt singularities \(X\) such that the Kodaira dimension is \(\dim X-1\). Combined with a result of \textit{V. Lazić} and \textit{T. Peternell} [Ann. Henri Lebesgue 3, 473--500 (2020; Zbl 1445.14061)] one obtains that a projective manifold that is covered by genus one curves also contains a rational curves unless some finite étale cover \(X' \rightarrow X\) has positive irregularity. For the proof of the main theorem one first shows that \(X \rightarrow B\) is birational to an orbibundle \(X_{orb} \rightarrow B\), by a result of Kollár such an orbibundle is a product after base change.