Projections of Grassmannians of lines and characterization of Veronese varieties (Q4699489)

Let \(G(1,N)\) be the Grassmann space of lines in \(\mathbb{P} (N,k)\) where \(k\) is of characteristic 0. The author calls a variety \(X\) of \(G(1, n+1)\) uncompressed if the union in \(\mathbb{P}(2n+1,k)\) of all lines parametrized by \(X\) is of dimension \(n+1\). His result, generalizing a classical one of Severi, is: If \(X\subset G(1,N)\), \(N\geq 2n+1\), is a nondegenerate irreducible uncompressed \(n\)-dimensional variety that can be projected isomorphically to \(G(1,n+1)\) then \(N=2n+1\) and \(X\) is a Veronese variety. The proof modifies some techniques from the book by \textit{F. L. Zak}, ``Tangents and secants of algebraic varieties,'' Transl. Math. Monographs 127 (1993; Zbl 0795.14018). The paper contains in addition some more general remarks on projections of Grassmannians.