Inversion of adjunction for rational and Du Bois pairs (Q738827)

In this paper, the authors prove a new inversion of adjunction result for Du Bois and rational pairs. Let \(f\): \(X\to B\) be a flat projective family with geometrically integral fibers over a smooth connected base \(B\), let \(A\subseteq B\) be a smooth closed subscheme containing no component of \(B\) and \(H=f^{-1}(A)\) (with the induced scheme structure). Let \(D\) be a reduced codimension one subscheme of \(X\) that is flat over \(B\). Assume for every \(s\in A\), \(X_s, D_s\) is Du Bois and that \(X\backslash H, D\backslash H\) is a rational pair. Then \((X, D)\) is a rational pair. It is worth to mention that this result is new even when \(D=0\), which then asserts that if a family over a smooth base has a special fiber \(X_0\) with Du Bois singularities and the general fiber has rational singularities, then the total space has rational singularities near \(X_0\). In order to establish this result the authors generalize several important results on Du Bois singularities to the setting of Du Bois pairs. For example the key injectivity theorem in [the authors, ``Du Bois singularities deform'', Preprint, \url{arXiv:1107.2349}], the characterization of Du Bois singularities in the CM case in [the authors and \textit{K. E. Smith}, Adv. Math. 224, No. 4, 1618--1640 (2010; Zbl 1198.14003)].