Free curves, eigenschemes, and pencils of curves (Q6570070)

A reduced plane curve \(C=V(f)\subset {\mathbb P}^2\), \( f\in R:=K[x,y,z]_d\) is free if its associated module of tangent derivations \(\mathrm{Der}(f)\) is a free \(R\)-module, or equivalently if the corresponding sheaf \(T_{{\mathbb P}^2}(-\log C)\) of vector fields tangent to \(C\) splits as a direct sum of line bundles on \({\mathbb P}^2\).\N\NThe module of derivations tangent to \(C \) is a reflexive sheaf. So, since a reflexive sheaf on a surface is always locally free, when \(X = {\mathbb P}^2\) the module of derivations is locally free. Our interest is when it splits as \({\mathbb P}^2 (a)\oplus {\mathbb P}^2 (b)\)i, in which case, \(C\) is said to be a free curve with exponents \((a, b)\). In general, free curves are difficult to find, and the point of this work is to describe a new method to construct free curves based on the theory of eigenschemes of tensors.\N\NPrevious results show that a free divisor \(V(f)\) on \( {\mathbb P}^n\) has a very constrained structure: \(f= \det(M) \) for an \((n + 1)\times (n + 1)\) matrix \(M\) with one column consisting of the variables, and the remaining \(n\) columns the minimal first syzygies on \(\nabla (f\)). In particular, \(V(f)\) is a special type of determinantal hypersurface. The focus here is on singular curves in \( {\mathbb P}^2\) which are reduced but not irreducible.\N\NThe main result, from which critheria for freenes and examples of families of free curves are derived is the following: consider an irreducible derivation \(\delta = P_1\partial_x + P_2\partial_y+P_3\partial_z\), where \(P_i\in R_a\); and let its eigenscheme \(\Gamma\) be finite. If \(f\in R_d\), \(d\geq a+1\), and \(\delta (f) \in (f)\), then the curve \(V(f)\) is free if and only if \(f\in I_\Gamma\) (the ideal of \(\Gamma\)).\N\NHere \(\Gamma\) is defined by the \(2\times 2\) minors of the matrix whose columns are \((x, y, z)\) and \((P_1, P_2, P_3)\).