No label defined (Q4352472)

Given a projective three dimensional variety \(Y\) over \(\mathbb{C}\) with only \(\mathbb{Q}\)-factorial singularities, an elementary contraction is a projective surjective morphism with connected fibres \(\mu: Y \to X\) onto a normal variety \(X\) such that the relative Picard number is \(1\) and \(-K_Y\) is \(\mu\)-ample. Elementary contractions arise naturally in the minimal model program and it is of great interest to classify them [see \textit{S. Cutkosky}, Math. Ann. 280, No. 3, 521-525 (1988; Zbl 0616.14003) and \textit{J. Kollár} and \textit{S. Mori}, J. Am. Math. Soc. 5, No. 3, 533-703 (1992; Zbl 0773.14004)]. When an elementary contraction is birational with a prime divisor as exceptional locus it is called a divisorial contraction. The paper under review is inspired by the desire of classifying divisorial contractions giving rise to quotient terminal singularities. (Given the set up described below, where one starts from a given singularity \((X,P)\), the author suggests the use of the term divisorial extraction.) The precise set up is the following: Let \((X,P)=\mathbb{C}^3/\mathbb{Z}_r(s,-s,1)\) be a quotient singularity with \(0<s<r\) where \(r\) and \(s\) are relatively prime. Let \(\mu : Y \to X\) be a projective birational morphism, from a variety \(Y\) with only terminal singularities, with exceptional locus \(E\) such that \(\mu\) coincides with the blow up along the generic points of \(\mu(E)\), \(E\) is a \(\mathbb{Q}\)-Cartier divisor, \(-E\) is \(\mu\)-ample and either \(E\) is irreducible or all of its components are mapped by \(\mu\) to curves. Under the above assumptions the author proves that \(\mu\) coincides with the weighted blow up of \(X\) at \(P\) with weights \((s/r, 1- s/,1/r)\). Such a morphism is independent of the choice of coordinates and it is unique for a given singularity. For the entire collection see [Zbl 0859.00021].