The minimal number of generators of a Togliatti system (Q343506)

If \(I = (F_1,\dots,F_r)\) is an ideal generated by homogeneous polynomials of the same degree \(d\) in \(n+1\) variables over a field \(k\) of characteristic zero, and if \(r \leq \binom{n+d-1}{n-1}\), then the authors and Ottoviani showed the equivalence of the following three conditions: (i) \(R/I\) fails the Weak Lefschetz property in degree \(d-1\), (ii) \(F_1,\dots,F_r\) become \(k\)-linearly dependent on a general hyperplane of \(\mathbb P^n\), and (iii) the \(n\)-dimensional variety \(X\) obtained as the image of the rational map associated with the Macaulay dual system \((I^{-1})\) satisfies at least one Laplace equation of order \(d-1\). (This latter condition indicates that a certain osculating space has dimension smaller than expected.) The ideal \(I\) is called a \textit{Togliatti system} if it satisfies these conditions, a \textit{monomial Togliatti system} if \(I\) is a monomial ideal, and a \textit{smooth Togliatti system} if \(X\) is smooth. A monomial Togliatti system \(I\) is called \textit{minimal} if \(I\) is generated by \(r\) monomials and no proper subset of the monomials defines a monomial Togliatti system. In this paper the authors assume \(d \geq 4\), and they establish minimal and maximal bounds, depending on \(n\) and \(d\), for the number of generators of Togliatti systems of this form and they classify the systems achieving (or almost achieving) the minimal bound. Then they investigate whether all values between the minimal and maximal ones can be achieved as the number of generators of a minimal smooth Togliatti system, giving some positive (\(n=2\)) and some negative (\(n \geq 3\)) results. Removing the smoothness conditions makes \(n=3\) positive, but \(n \geq 4\) is still negative. Finally, they study the Mumford-Takemoto stability of the syzygy bundle associated with a minimal smooth Togliatti system when \(n=2\).