The boundary of the orbit of the 3-by-3 determinant polynomial (Q309769)

\textit{K. D. Mulmuley} and \textit{M. Sohoni} [SIAM J. Comput. 31, No. 2, 496--526 (2001; Zbl 0992.03048)] proposed, in their geometry complexity theory (GCT), to study the geometry of the orbit closure of some polynomials under linear changes of variables, especially the determinant polynomial. It is expected that understanding the components of the boundary of the \(n\)-by-\(n\) determinant polynomial will be useful for GCT. In this regard, only two components of the boundary of this polynomial have been found so far. In his survey of recent developments in GCT, \textit{J. M. Landsberg} [Ann. Univ. Ferrara, Sez. VII, Sci. Mat. 61, No. 1, 65--117 (2015; Zbl 1329.68128)] suggests, among other open problems, to find additional components other than the known ones, and, in particular, all the components for the case \(n = 3\). In this paper, the authors describe the boundary of the set of all the polynomials obtained from the 3-by-3 determinant polynomial by linear changes of variables, that is, the set of limit points of the orbit that are not in the orbit. The main achievement is the proof that no components of the boundary other than the two known ones arise. The authors explain in detail the construction of these components and show that there is no other one.