On the Hilbert scheme of varieties defined by maximal minors (Q743749)

A determinantal subvariety of \(\mathbb P^n\) is the locus defined by the vanishing of the minors of given order of a homogeneous matrix of polynomials. Even classically, such varieties have been well studied, especially those defined by the maximal minors. A more modern setting is to consider the component \(\mathcal H\) of the Hilbert scheme corresponding to a determinantal variety, \(X\), defined by the minors of given size of a general homogeneous matrix of given type. Two natural questions are whether the corresponding point \([X]\) of \(\mathcal H\) is a smooth point (i.e., \(X\) is unobstructed), and whether there is an open subset of \(\mathcal H\) consisting of determinantal varieties of the same type. This was conjectured to be the case by Kleppe and Miró-Roig in a series of papers, and they proved many cases. The authors of the current paper prove this conjecture in the case of maximal minors, except when \(\dim X = 0\) or \(X\) is a hypersurface.