Galois coverings and endomorphisms of projective varieties (Q943396)

Let \(X\) be a smooth complex projective variety. A classical question asks for a description of \(X\) admitting surjective ramified endomorphisms \(f: X \to X\) of degree \(d\geq 2\). In the paper under review the authors prove that \(X\) must be uniruled and investigate the case of Fano manifolds of Picard number \(\rho(X)=1\). It is conjectured that, if \(X\) is a Fano manifold with \(\rho(X)=1\) and \(f: X \to X\) is an endomorphism of degree \(>1\), then \(X={\mathbb P}^n\). This conjecture has been proved (i) in case of surfaces, (ii) in case of threefolds by \textit{E. Amerik, M. Rovinsky} and \textit{A. Van de Ven} [Ann. Inst. Fourier 49, No. 2, 405--415 (1999; Zbl 0923.14008)], \textit{J.-M. Hwang} and \textit{N. Mok} [J. Algebr. Geom. 12, 627--651 (2003; Zbl 1038.14018)], \textit{C. Schuhmann} [J. Algebr. Geom. 8, 221--244 (1999; Zbl 0970.14022)], (iii) in case of rational homogeneous manifolds by \textit{J.-M. Hwang} and \textit{N. Mok} [Invent. Math. 136, 209--231 (1999; Zbl 0963.32007)], \textit{K. H. Paranjape} and \textit{V. Srinivas} [Invent. Math. 98, 425--444 (1989; Zbl 0697.14037)], (iv) in case of toric varieties by \textit{G. Occhetta} and \textit{J. A. Wiśniewski} [Math. Z. 241, 35--44 (2002; Zbl 1022.14016)], (v) in case of varieties containing a rational curve with trivial normal bundle by Hwang and Mok [Zbl 1038.14018]. Let \({\mathcal E}_f\) be the vector bundle canonically associated to \(f\). In the paper under review the authors prove the conjecture if one of the following holds: (i) \({\mathcal E}_{f_k}\) is ample for some iterate \(f_k\) of \(f\) and \(h^0(X,f_k^*(T_X))>h^0(X,T_X)\); (ii) \(f\) is Galois and \(h^0(X,f_k^*(T_X))>h^0(X,T_X)\) for some \(k\); (iii) \(X\) is almost-homogeneous and \(h^0(X,T_X)>\dim X\) and \({\mathcal E}_{f_k}\) is ample for sufficiently large \(k\). Moreover, they prove that, if \(X\) is a Fano manifold with \(\rho(X)=1\) and \(f: X \to X\) is an endomorphism of degree \(d\), then \(d=1\) if one of the following holds: (i) the index of \(X\) is \(\leq 2\) and there exists a line in \(X\) not contained in the branch locus of \(f\); (ii) \(X\) satisfies the Cartan--Fubini condition, \(X\) is almost homogeneous and \(h^0(X,T_X)>\dim X\); (iii) \(X\) satisfies the Cartan--Fubini condition, \(X\) is almost homogeneous and either branch or the ramification divisor of \(f\) meets the open orbit of \(\text{Aut}^0(X)\); (iv) \(X\) is a del Pezzo manifold of degree \(5\). The basic idea is to study a ramified finite covering \(f\) of degree \(d\) through the properties of \({\mathcal E}_f\), which tends to inherit positivity properties from the ramification divisor. In particular, when \(f: X \to Y\) is a Galois covering of projective manifolds which does not factor through an étale covering (this is the case, for instance, for Fano manifolds with \(\rho(X)=1\)) and all irreducible components of the ramification divisor are ample, they prove that \({\mathcal E}_f\) is ample. Moreover, if \(X\) is a projective manifold with \(\rho(X)=1\) and if \({\mathcal F}\subset T_X\), a coherent subsheaf of positive rank, is ample, they prove that \(X\) is isomorphic to the projective space, generalizing a theorem of \textit{M. Andreatta} and \textit{J. A. Wiśniewski} [Invent. Math. 146, 209--217 (2001; Zbl 1081.14060)].