A compactification of the space of algebraic maps from \(\mathbb{P}^1\) to \(\mathbb{P}^{n}\) (Q649506)

The article under review carries out the conjectured compactification of the moduli space of algebraic maps from \(\mathbb{P}^1\) to \(\mathbb{P}^n\) of \textit{Y. Hu} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 355, No. 12, 4737--4753 (2003; Zbl 1083.14004)]. Letting \(V\) be an \(n+1\) dimensional vector space and \(\mathcal{Q}\) a coherent sheaf over \(\mathbb{P}^1\) of degree \(d\) and rank \(n\), this moduli space can be realized as the Quot scheme parametrizing exact sequences \(0 \to \mathcal{O}_{\mathbb{P}^1}(-d) \to V \otimes \mathcal{O}_{\mathbb{P}^1} \to \mathcal{Q}\). Alternatively, this space admits a very concrete description as the space of all tuples \([f_0, \ldots, f_n]\), not all zero, where each \(f_i\) is a homogeneous polynomial of degree \(d\) in two variables. This compactification is achieved as an iterated blow-up, and further is smooth and projective, with boundary consisting of simple normal crossing divisors. The boundary strata have a very nice interpretation as loci of tuples \([f_0, \dots, f_n]\) where the \(f_i\) have a common factor at least a given degree. The proofs are often given via classical constructions involving determinantal subschemes, resultants, and Veronese and Segre embeddings, as well as \textit{I. Vainsencher}'s space of complete collineations [Math. Ann. 267, 417--32 (1984; Zbl 0544.14033)]. The remaining problem of finding a modular interpretation of the boundary is left to a future paper by the first and third author.