Higher order bad loci (Q995603)

Consider a smooth complex projective variety \(X\) of dimension \(n \geq 2\) and an ample base point free linear system \(| V| \) on \(X\). It can occur that there exists a point \(x \in X\) such that when imposing the elements of \(| V| \) to pass through \(x\) we get only reducible or non--reduced elements. The point \(x \in X\) is defined as a bad point for the pair \((X,V)\). In a previous work by the same authors [Manuscr. Math. 112, No. 2, 197--219 (2003; Zbl 1045.14002)] is shown that bad points can appear only when \(\dim(X)=2\) and \(| V| \) is not very ample. The goal of the paper under review is to generalize this kind of results. There are two natural ways to generalize them. One possibility is to see points as reduced zero--schemes of length one and then study zero-schemes for which any element of the linear system of elements of \(| V| \) through them is reducible or non-reduced. Another possibility is to consider a point as a zero-dimensional linear space and then study linear spaces on \(X\) verifying the same property. In the former the following problem appears: study the minimal length, if finite, \(b\) (respectively \(b_0\)) of a zero-scheme (respectively reduced zero-scheme) \(Z\) for which the described property holds: any element of \(| V| \) through \(Z\) is reducible or non-reduced. A related question on the number of independent conditions imposed by \(Z\) on \(| V| \) is considered and a notion of suitable pair \((V,Z)\) appears (see Section 2 for details). As a generalization of the previous quoted result, in Rmk. 23 and Thm. 22 it is shown that \(\dim(X) \leq b_0+1\) and \(\dim(X) \leq b+1\), the second assertion under the assumption of the existence of a suitable pair. Stronger bounds are proven when further (positivity) hypotheses are imposed on \(| V| \). Examples showing the sharpness of all the bounds are presented. In the latter it is shown (see Section 4) that bad linear spaces can only appear in codimension 2 and are inherited by hyperplane section, then they do not occur for very ample systems.