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Let $X$ be a projective variety contained in $\mathbb{P}^n$, over the field of complex numbers. I think that the inclusion $X\subset \mathbb{P}^n$ is controvariantly given by the surjective map among finitely generated algebras $$i^*:\bigoplus_{m\geq 0} S^mH^0(X,\mathcal{O}_X(1))\to \bigoplus_{m\geq 0} H^0(X,\mathcal{O}_X(m))$$ I say I think because I'm not enirely sure, I've just use the definition of $\mathbb{P}$ as the Proj of the symmetric algebra (a reference regarding this controvariant surjective map would be very helpful).

What I would like to understand is what this map is defined: since $X$ i know $H^0(X,\mathcal{O}_X(1))$ is a finite dimensional vector space of dimension $n+1$; let's call $s_1,\ldots,s_{n+1}$ the generating sections. By doing the symmetric algebra I learnt I'm creating a polynomial ring $\mathbb{C}[s_1,\ldots,s_n]$. I obtain therefore

$$\bigoplus_{m\geq 0}\mathbb{C}[s_1,\ldots,s_{n+1}]_m\to \bigoplus_{m\geq 0} H^0(X,\mathcal{O}_X(m))$$

But now I'm a bit confused: is this map the identity? It can't be since $X$ is not the whole projective space, so this is like a restriction of the sections on the points of $X$? I'm quite desperate since I don't know where to look to properly understand this passage.

Viktor Vaughn
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1 Answers1

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This map is not the identity. It should have a graded kernel $$I = \bigoplus_{m \ge 0} I_m \subset \bigoplus_{m \ge 0} S^m H^0(X, \mathcal{O}_X(1)),$$ which will tell you what subvariety of $\mathbb{P}^n$ is the image of the embedding $X \hookrightarrow \mathbb{P}^n$: we have $\mathop{im}{X} = V(I)$. Note also that it is certainly not necessarily the case that $H^0(X, \mathcal{O}_X(m)) \cong \mathbb{C}[s_1, \ldots, s_{n+1}]_m$.

However, the definition may feel tautological. A symmetric product of $m$ sections of $\mathcal{O}_X(1)$ should map to the product of those $m$ sections in $\mathcal{O}_X(1) \otimes \cdots \otimes \mathcal{O}_X(1) = \mathcal{O}_X(m)$: $$ s_{i_1} \times s_{i_2} \times \cdots \times s_{i_m} \mapsto s_{i_1} s_{i_2} \cdots s_{i_m}. $$ The kernel measures the extent to which a section of $\mathcal{O}_X(m)$ has different factorizations as a product of $m$ sections of $\mathcal{O}_X(1)$. If $t \in H^0(X, \mathcal{O}_X(m))$ is the image of both $s$ and $s' \in S^mH^0(X, \mathcal{O}_X(1))$, then $s - s' \in I$.

EDIT: I'm having trouble finding sources backing up what I'm saying here. This is from notes from a course I took 3 years ago, so I really wouldn't refer to it as "reputable." However, most comparable written sources I can find seem to prefer to restrict attention to curves, or consider the question in terms of divisors, or in terms of the map on points $X \to \mathbb{P}^n$. That said, I think the most controversial claim I make is that the product of sections of a line bundle makes sense as a section in a tensor power of that line bundle.

EDIT 2: Here I want to address numbered points in the comments.

  1. One definition of the polynomial ring is the ring of graded functions on a finite dimensional vector space. Always, if $V$ is a complex vector space with basis $\{v_1, \ldots, v_n\}$, then $S^mV = \mathbb{C}[v_1, \ldots, v_n]_m$. This is exactly the assertion in the case $V = H^0(X, \mathcal{O}_X(1))$. You can verify this isomorphism via the the kernel of the map $TV \to \mathbb{C}[v_1, \ldots, v_n]$, if you like. The Wikipedia page on symmetric algebras has some more details, but this should make intuitive sense: The basis of degree-$m$ symmetric vectors vectors on $V$ are those of the form $v_{i_1} \times \cdots \times v_{i_m}$ where $1 \le i_1 \le \cdots \le i_m \le n$, and the basis of the degree-$m$ homogenous polynomials in $n$ variables are $x_{i_1} \cdots x_{i_m}$ where $1 \le i_1 \le \cdots \le i_m \le n$.

  2. That's the idea, but I realize I need to give a little more detail to explain how to "multiply" global sections of a line bundle, when the global sections themselves only have the structure of a vector space. For line bundle $\mathcal{L}$ on $X$, there is a multiplication map $\bigoplus^m \mathcal{L} \to \mathcal{L}^{\otimes m}$ factoring through $S^m \mathcal{L}$. On sufficiently small open $U \subset X$, it looks like $$ \begin{array}{ccccc} \bigoplus_{k=1}^m \mathcal{L}(U) & \to & S^m \mathcal{L}(U) & \to & \mathcal{L}(U) \otimes_{\mathcal{O}_X(U)} \cdots \otimes_{\mathcal{O}_X(U)} \mathcal{L}(U) \\ (s_1|_U, \ldots, s_m|_U) & \mapsto & s_1|_U \times \cdots \times s_m|_U & \mapsto & s_1|_U \otimes \cdots \otimes s_m|_U \end{array} $$ Line bundles are locally isomorphic to $\mathcal{O}_X$, so this multiplication makes sense on small open $U \subset X$, and takes place in the ring $\mathcal{O}_X(U)$. Furthermore, on such $U$ there is a natural isomorphism $\mathcal{L}^{\otimes m}(U) \to \mathcal{L}(U)$, since the tensor product of an algebra with itself over itself is again that same algebra. So it makes sense to write the tensor product of sections $s_1|_U \otimes \cdots \otimes s_m|_U$ simply as an algebra product $(s_1 \cdots s_m)|_U$. Then we can cover $X$ via affine opens and glue the various sections $(s_1 \cdots s_m)|_U$ together to create a global product section $s_1 \cdots s_m \in H^0(X, \mathcal{O}_X(m))$. The fact that this gluing is allowed comes from the definition of transition maps of tensor powers—if $\{\phi_{ji}: s_i|_{U_i \cap U_j} \mapsto s_j|_{U_i \cap U_j}\}$ is the set of transition maps for a cover of $\mathcal{F}$, then $\{\phi_{ji} \otimes \cdots \otimes \phi_{ji}\}$ is the set of transition maps for a cover of $\mathcal{F}^{\otimes m}$. So the multiplication of local sections makes sense with transition maps, and we don't have to worry about non-canonicity of identifying $\mathcal{L}(U)$ with $\mathcal{O}_X(U)$. Again, unfortunately, my source is notes. I don't think this is a terribly hard issue, but I see now it has a lot of details—to get a feel for details, I don't know a better suggestion than working through an exercise-heavy textbook like Hartshorne (ch 2-4) or Vakil. For specific questions, especially related to definitions, I usually turn to the Stacks Project.

  3. The point is that $\bigoplus_{m \ge 0} H^0(X, \mathcal{O}_X(m))$ is endowed with a structure that is different from that of $\mathbb{C}[s_1, \ldots, s_m]$. Non-uniqueness of factorization may very well exist in a graded ring whose Proj is $X$. Also, I was using "factorization" a bit loosely. If any two combinations of products of global sections $$ \sum_{i_1 \le \cdots \le i_m} c_{i_{\bullet}} s_{i_1} \cdots s_{i_m} = \sum_{i_{\bullet}} d_{i_{\bullet}} s_{i_1} \cdots s_{i_m} \in H^0(X, \mathcal{O}_X(m)), $$ then I would say both have the same "factorization." Then the two preimages $$ t = \sum_{i_{\bullet}} c_{i_{\bullet}} s_{i_1} \times \cdots \times s_{i_m}, t' = \sum_{i_{\bullet}} d_{i_{\bullet}} s_{i_1} \times \cdots \times s_{i_m} \in S^mH^0(X, \mathcal{O}_X(1)) $$ both map to the same element and $t - t' \in I_m$. Even if the quotient is a UFD, this is possible.

  4. Sorry to be flippant about sources. What's worked for me to understand algebraic geometry, to the extent anything has, is to slowly osmose as much understanding as I can through lectures (I've taken 3 different intro courses to algebraic geometry), looking up specific questions in Stacks Project, and working laboriously through Hartshorne problems. I really don't know which source most efficiently explains how to multiply global sections of a line bundle in terms of an affine cover, but I have developed a feeling in my bones that it's possible, and this is the way to do it.

jackson
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