Exceptional sets and fiber products (Q939009)

Let \(\pi:X\to Y\) be an algebraic map between algebraic sets. \(D_h(\pi)\) is defined to be the closure of the set of points \(x\in X\) such that \(\dim_x\pi^{-1}(\pi(x))=h\). Let \(Z\) be an irreducible algebraic set and \(\pi:Z\to Y\) be an algebraic map from \(Z\) to an algebraic set \(Y\). Let \(U\subset Z\) be Zariski open and dense such that the points of \(U\) are smooth, the points of \(\pi(U)\) are smooth, \(\pi|_U\) is of maximal rank, \(\pi|_U=s\circ r\), where \(r:U\to V\) is an algebraic map onto a quasiprojective manifold \(V\) with connected fibres and \(s:V\to\pi (U)\) is a covering map. The inclusion \(i:U\to Z\) induces an inclusion map of the \(k\)--fold product \(U \times_V \times\ldots \times_V U \) into \(Z \times_Y \times\ldots \times_Y Z\). The main component \(Z^k_\pi\) of \(Z\) in \(Z \times_Y \times\ldots \times_Y Z\) is defined to be the closure of the image of this map. It is proved that given an irreducible component \(Z\subset D_h(\pi)\) for an algebraic map \(\pi:X\to Y\) between irreducible algebraic sets satisfying \(\overline{\pi(X)}=Z\), the main component \(Z^k_\pi\) of \(Z\) in \(X \times_Y \times\ldots \times_Y X\) is an irreducible component for \(k\) sufficiently large. Numerical algorithms for identifying these components are given. The methods are illustrated by finding the rulings of a general quadric in \(\mathbb C^3\).