Rationality of moduli spaces of vector bundles on rational surfaces (Q4545208)

This paper deals with rationality questions concerning certain moduli spaces of vector bundles over complex surfaces. More precisely, let \(X\) be a smooth, rational and projective complex surface with a fixed polarization \(L\in\text{Pic}(X)\). For any \(c_1\in\text{Pic}(X)\) and \(c_2\in\mathbb{N}\), denote by \(\overline M_{X,L}(2;c_1,c_2)\) the moduli space of rank-2, torsion-free sheaves \(E\) on \(X\) which are semi-stable (in the sense of Gieseker-Maruyama) with respect to the polarization \(L\) and satisfy the identities \(\det(E)=c_1\) and \(c_2(E)=c_2\). Finally, let \(M_L(2;c_1,c_2)\) the open subscheme parametrizing \(L\)-stable (in the sense of Mumford-Takemoto) locally free sheaves of this type. The paper under review is based on the question of whether the spaces \(M_L (2;c_1,c_2)\) are rational varieties. In the course of their fine analysis of this problem, the authors develop several rationality criteria for those moduli varieties, and finally apply them to special rational surfaces. -- The main result of this work states that if \(X\) is a Hirzebruch surface or the blow-up of a Hirzebruch surface, \(L\) a suitable polarization and \(c_1\gg 0\), then the moduli space \(M_L(2;c_1,c_2)\) is a smooth, irreducible, rational quasi-projective variety of dimension \(4c_2-c_1^2-3\). According to the birational classification of smooth rational surfaces, this result establishes the rationality of \(M_L(2;c_1,c_2)\) for general smooth rational surfaces and the given data. Methodically, the proof is based on the rationality criteria derived before, and on a very thorough case-by-case inspection of such surfaces.