arXiv · 1409.7778
On birational maps from cubic threefolds
Abstract
We characterise smooth curves in a smooth cubic threefold whose blow-ups produce a weak-Fano threefold. These are curves $C$ of genus $g$ and degree $d$, such that (i) $2(d-5) \le g$ and $d\le 6$; (ii) $C$ does not admit a 3-secant line in the cubic threefold. Among the list of ten possible such types $(g,d)$, two were previously left as open numerical possibilities, namely $(g,d) = (0,5)$ and $(2,6)$. Using the Sarkisov link associated with a curve of type $(2,6)$, we are able to produce the first example of a pseudo-automorphism with dynamical degree greater than $1$ on a smooth threefold with Picard number $3$. We also prove that the group of birational selfmaps of any smooth cubic threefold contains elements contracting surfaces birational to any given ruled surface.
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Jérémy Blanc, Stéphane Lamy. 2014-09-27. On birational maps from cubic threefolds. https://arxiv.org/abs/1409.7778
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