Deformations along subsheaves (Q536447)

Let \(Y\) be a compact complex manifold, and let \(f: Y \rightarrow X\) be a morphism to some complex manifold \(X\). The classical deformation theory of morphisms studies under which conditions there exists a non-trivial one-parameter family \(f_t: Y \rightarrow X\) such that \(f_0=f\). A necessary condition is the existence of infinitesimal deformations, i.e. non-zero elements \(\sigma \in H^0(Y, f^* T_X)\) and this condition is also sufficient if the obstruction space \(H^1(Y, f^* T_X)\) vanishes. The paper under review gives a refinement of this statement: let \(\mathcal F \subset T_X\) be a subsheaf that is closed under the Lie bracket. Denote by \(\mathcal F_Y\) the image of the map \(f^* \mathcal F \rightarrow f^* T_X\). Let \(\sigma \in H^0(Y, f^* T_X)\) be an infinitesimal deformation of \(f\) that is contained in the subspace \(H^0(Y, \mathcal F_Y) \subseteq H^0(Y, f^* T_X)\). If the obstruction space \(H^1(Y, \mathcal F_Y)\) vanishes, then there exists a deformation \(f_t: Y \rightarrow X\) along the subsheaf \(\mathcal F\), that is a deformation such that for all \(t\) the infinitesimal deformations \(\sigma_t\) are contained in the image of \(H^0(Y, f_t^* \mathcal F) \rightarrow H^0(Y, f_t^* T_X)\). The advantage of such a generalised deformation theory is that in many situations the subsheaf \(\mathcal F \subset T_X\) gives a geometric reason why a morphism deforms although the classical obstruction space \(H^1(Y, f^* T_X)\) is large. This strategy has been applied successfully in the case where \(\mathcal F\) is a foliation by \textit{Y. Miyaoka} [Proc. Symp. Pure Math. 46, No. 1, 245--268 (1987; Zbl 0659.14008)] and in the case where \(\mathcal F\) is a logarithmic tangent bundle \(T_X(-\log D)\) by \textit{S. Keel} and \textit{J. McKernan} [Mem. Am. Math. Soc. 669, 153 p. (1999; Zbl 0955.14031)]. The paper gives a detailed and rather elementary proof of the main theorem, including helpful introductions to several technical aspects of deformation theory.