On the normality of secant varieties (Q900860)

Let \(X\) be a smooth projective variety. A line bundle \(L\) on \(X\) is said to be \(3\)-very ample if the restriction map \(H^0(L) \to H^0(L|Z)\) is surjective for every degree \(4\) zero-dimensional subscheme \(Z\subset X\). The main result proved here is that if \(L\) is \(3\)-very ample and it has another technical assumption, then the secant variety \(\Sigma (X,L)\) of \(X\) of the image of \(X\) by the complete linear system \(|L|\) is normal. This technical assumption is satified if \(L\cong \omega _X\otimes A^{\otimes 2(n+1)}\otimes B\), \(n:= \dim (X)\), with \(A\) very ample and \(B\) nef. If \(X\) is a smooth curve of genus \(g\), it is sufficient to assume that \(\deg (L)\geq 2g+3\). She also proves the normality of the secant variety of the canonical embedding of all smooth curves with Clifford index \(\geq 3\). These are very nice results and they also fill a gap in the published proofs by other authors. Among the papers used for the proofs or generalized by the present one or whose quotations are now fixed I mention: [\textit{A. Bertram}, J. Differ. Geom. 35, No. 2, 429--469 (1992; Zbl 0787.14014)], [\textit{J. Sidman} and \textit{P. Vermeire}, Algebra Number Theory 3, No. 4, 445--465 (2009; Zbl 1169.13304); Abel Symposia 6, 155--174 (2011; Zbl 1251.14043)], [\textit{P. Vermeire}, Compos. Math. 125, No. 3, 263--282 (2001; Zbl 1056.14016); J. Algebra 319, No. 3, 1264--1270 (2008; Zbl 1132.14027); Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 140, No. 8, 2639--2646 (2012; Zbl 1279.14068)].