Sturmfels's determinantal ideal conjecture for tensor train varieties

Let k=(k0,,kn)\mathbf{k}=(k_0,\dots,k_n) and r=(r1,,rn)\mathbf{r}=(r_1,\dots,r_n), let ψ\psi be a k0××knk_0\times\cdots\times k_n tensor of indeterminates, and let ψi\psi^i denote its flattenings. The tensor train variety Vk,rV_{\mathbf{k},\mathbf{r}} is the variety parametrized by tensor trains with format k\mathbf{k} and rank bounds r\mathbf{r}. Sturmfels's conjecture. The homogeneous prime ideal of Vk,rV_{\mathbf{k},\mathbf{r}} in C[ψ]\mathbb{C}[\psi] is

I(Vk,r)=i=0n1(ri+1+1)-minors of ψi.\mathcal I(V_{\mathbf{k}, \mathbf{r}}) = \sum_{i=0}^{n-1} \Big\langle (r_{i+1}+1)\textrm{-minors of }\psi^i \Big\rangle.

Moreover, the union of the (ri+1+1)(r_{i+1}+1)-minors of the flattenings ψi\psi^i for i=0,,n1i=0,\dots,n-1 forms a Gröbner basis for I(Vk,r)\mathcal I(V_{\mathbf{k},\mathbf{r}}). This would upgrade the known set-theoretic determinantal description to a scheme-theoretic one; it was suggested by Bernd Sturmfels, and remains open in general.

Sources & referencesView supporting material

Primary source

Viktoriia Borovik, Hannah Friedman, Serkan Hoşten and Max Pfeffer, “Numerical Algebraic Geometry for Energy Computations on Tensor Train Varieties”, arXiv:2512.06939 (2026).

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