On a geometric property of the normal bundle of surfaces in \({\mathbb{P}}_ 4\) (Q919433)

The (-1)-twist of the normal bundle \({\mathcal N}\) of a smooth projective variety X is generated by global sections. We ask whether \({\mathcal N}(-1)\) is ample or not. There is the following geometric answer: \({\mathcal N}(-1)\) is not ample if and only if there is a hyperplane which is tangent to X along a reduced and irreducible curve. We use this criterion to investigate \({\mathcal N}(-1)\) of smooth surfaces in \({\mathbb{P}}_ 4\), e.g. abelian surfaces always have ample \({\mathcal N}(-1)\) whereas symmetric Castelnuovo surfaces of odd degree always have non-ample \({\mathcal N}(-1).\) The main result concerns rational non-special surfaces S: If S is a cubic scroll or a Veronese surface in \({\mathbb{P}}_ 4\) then \({\mathcal N}(-1)\) is not ample. In all other cases S can be deformed to a rational non-special surface of the same degree where \({\mathcal N}(-1)\) is ample.