Projective manifolds dominated by abelian varieties (Q5949443)

Let \(f: S\to X\) be a surjective morphism of projective manifolds. \textit{R. Lazarsfeld} has shown that if \(S= \mathbb{P}^n\) then \(X\) must be isomorphic to \(\mathbb{P}^n\) [in: Complete intersections, Lect. 1st Sess. C.I.M.E., Acireale/Italy 1983, Lect. Notes Math. 1092, 29--61 (1984; Zbl 0547.14009)]. Recently, the authors of the paper under review have generalized this result to the case of a rational homogeneous space \(S\) of Picard number one [Invent. Math. 136, No. 1, 209--231 (1999; Zbl 0963.32007)]. On the other hand, O. Debarre studied the question for a simple abelian variety \(A\) and a finite morphism \(f: A\to X\). His result states that if such a morphism has non-empty ramification, then \(X\) must be isomorphic to a projective space \(\mathbb{P}^n\), too [\textit{O. Debarre}, C. R. Acad. Sci., Paris, Sér. I 309, 119--122 (1989; Zbl 0699.14050)]. In the present paper, the authors give a generalization of Debarre's result to arbitrary abelian varieties. Their main theorem reads as follows: Let \(f: A\to X\) be a finite morphism with non-empty ramification from an abelian variety \(A\) to a projective manifold \(X\). Then \(X\) is a holomorphic bundle of projective spaces over a projective algebraic manifold \(Y\) of smaller dimension. Moreover, there exists a finite morphism from an abelian variety onto \(Y\) and there is a finite sequence of surjective morphisms \(g_i: X_{i-1}\to X_i\) between projective manifolds, \(1\leq i\leq N\), \(X_0= X\), such that each \(g_i\) is a holomorphic projective bundle and \(X_N\) admits a finite unramified cover by an abelian variety. In particular, if \(X\) has Picard number 1, then \(X\) is a projective space \(\mathbb{P}^n\). The proof is based on a refined study of deformations of minimal rational curves on the manifold \(X\) together with an analysis of the structure of multi-valued distributions defined by the linear span of varieties of minimal rational tangents.