One-parameter families containing three-dimensional toric Gorenstein singularities (Q4507512)

This paper is a study of the deformation theory of toric Gorenstein 3-fold singularities. It relates to the classification of 3-fold flips as follows: We know that any Mori flip diagram can be obtained from a \({\mathbb C}^{\scriptstyle \times}\) action on a 4-fold Gorenstein singularity \(0 \in A\) by taking the quotient by the \({\mathbb C}^{\scriptstyle \times}\) action in different interpretations -- the so called \textit{variation of geometric invariant theory quotient}. Moreover the general anticanonical divisor \(S \in |-K_X|\) (the general elephant) is a surface with only Du Val singularities, according to \textit{J. Kollár} and \textit{S. Mori} [J. Am. Math. Soc. 5, No. 3, 533-703 (1992; Zbl 0773.14004); theorem 1.7]. Its inverse image in \(A\) is a \({\mathbb C}^{\scriptstyle \times}\) cover \(B \rightarrow S\), and is a hyperplane section \(B \subset A\), so that \(A\) can be viewed as a 1-parameter deformation of \(B\). It frequently happens that \(S\) is of type \(A_n\), and then \(B\) is toric, so that the presented theory applies in many cases to give a classification of 3-fold flips. In his previous work [\textit{K. Altmann}, Tôhoku Math. J., II. Ser. 47, No. 2, 151-184 (1995; Zbl 0842.14037)], the author uses the notion of Minkovski decomposition of polytopes to give a complete treatment of the deformation of isolated 3-fold toric Gorenstein singularities; in the present paper, he shows how to modify his method to the case of toric varieties having singularities in codimension \(2\). For the entire collection see [Zbl 0942.00009].