Ciliberto–Ottaviani conjecture on the birationality of Hessian maps

Let S(n)S(n) be the graded polynomial ring in x0,x1,,xnx_0,x_1,\ldots,x_n with complex coefficients. For a degree dd homogeneous polynomial fS(n)df\in S(n)_d, define its Hessian polynomial by

hess(f)=det(2fxixj).\operatorname{hess}(f)=\det\left(\frac{\partial^2f}{\partial x_i\partial x_j}\right).

For d3d\geq 3 and n2n\geq 2, this gives the rational Hessian map

hd,n:P(S(n)d)P(S(n)3(d2)),hd,n(f)=hess(f).h_{d,n}:\mathbb{P}(S(n)_d)\dashrightarrow\mathbb{P}(S(n)_{3(d-2)}),\qquad h_{d,n}(f)=\operatorname{hess}(f).

Ciliberto–Ottaviani conjecture. The map hd,nh_{d,n} induces a birational morphism onto its image when d3d\geq 3, n2n\geq 2, and (d,n)(3,2)(d,n)\neq(3,2). This conjecture concerns the birationality of Hessian maps for homogeneous polynomials. The binary case n=1n=1 is known: the corresponding map is birational onto its image if and only if d5d\geq 5. The cubic-surface case is also known, while the stated claim includes quartic plane curves and excludes the exceptional pair (3,2)(3,2); the source presents it as an open conjecture.

Sources & referencesView supporting material

Primary source

Alexandru Dimca and Gabriel Sticlaru, “On the birationality of the Hessian maps of quartic curves and cubic surfaces”, arXiv:2111.01087 (2024).

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