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Gregory G. Smith

Publications and source records attributed to Gregory G. Smith.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

Classifying Smooth Quot Schemes

The Quot scheme $\operatorname{Quot}^{q}(\mathcal{O}_{\mathbb{P}^n}^{r})$ parametrizes the quotients of the trivial vector bundle of rank $r$ on $n$-dimensional projective space that have Hilbert polynomial $q$ and are flat over a base scheme. We identify numerical conditions on the polynomial $q$ that completely determine when this Quot scheme is smooth and irreducible. Our approach also uncovers further geometric features of the projective scheme $\operatorname{Quot}^{q} (\mathcal{O}_{\mathbb{P}^n}^{r})$ including the smoothness of the lexicographic point.

math.AG↗
arXiv2025

Cellular free resolutions for normalizations of toric ideals

For any toric ideal $I$ in a polynomial ring $S$, we provide a combinatorial description of a free resolution of the integral closure of the $S$-module $S/I$. These new complexes arise from an extension of Bayer--Sturmfels' theory of cellular free resolutions. As applications, we unify several constructions for a resolution of the diagonal embedding of a toric variety, and compare the locally free resolutions for toric subvarieties introduced by Hanlon--Hicks--Lazarev and Brown--Erman.

math.AC↗
arXiv2024

Nonnegativity certificates on real algebraic surfaces

We introduce tools for transferring nonnegativity certificates for global sections between line bundles on real algebraic surfaces. As applications, we improve Hilbert's degree bounds on sum-of-squares multipliers for nonnegative ternary forms, give a complete characterization of nonnegative real forms of del Pezzo surfaces, and establish quadratic upper bounds for the degrees of sum-of-squares multipliers for nonnegative forms on real ruled surfaces.

math.AG↗
arXiv2022

Smooth Hilbert schemes: their classification and geometry

Closed subschemes in projective space with a fixed Hilbert polynomial are parametrized by a Hilbert scheme. We classify the smooth ones. We identify numerical conditions on a polynomial that completely determine when the Hilbert scheme is smooth. We also reinterpret these smooth Hilbert schemes as generalized partial flag varieties and describe the subschemes being parametrized.

math.AG↗
arXiv2021

Sums of Squares: A Real Projective Story

The relationship between nonnegative polynomials and sums of squares is one of the central questions in real algebraic geometry. A modern approach is to look at nonnegative polynomials and sums of squares on a real variety. We survey the rich history of this area and focus on recent developments highlighting unexpected links to complex algebraic geometry and commutative algebra.

math.AG↗
arXiv2020

Sums of Squares and Quadratic Persistence on Real Projective Varieties

We bound the Pythagoras number of a real projective subvariety: the smallest positive integer $r$ such that every sum of squares of linear forms in its homogeneous coordinate ring is a sum of at most $r$ squares. Enhancing existing methods, we exhibit three distinct upper bounds involving known invariants. In contrast, our lower bound depends on a new invariant of a projective subvariety called the quadratic persistence. Defined by projecting away from points, this numerical invariant is closely related to the linear syzygies of the variety. In addition, we classify the projective subvarieties of maximal and almost-maximal quadratic persistence, and determine their Pythagoras numbers.

math.AG↗
arXiv2019

Virtual Resolutions for a Product of Projective Spaces

Syzygies capture intricate geometric properties of a subvariety in projective space. However, when the ambient space is a product of projective spaces or a more general smooth projective toric variety, minimal free resolutions over the Cox ring are too long and contain many geometrically superfluous summands. In this paper, we construct some much shorter free complexes that better encode the geometry.

math.AC↗
arXiv2018

Sharp Degree Bounds for Sum-of-Squares Certificates on Projective Curves

Given a real projective curve with homogeneous coordinate ring R and a nonnegative homogeneous element f in R, we bound the degree of a nonzero homogeneous sum-of-squares g in R such that the product fg is again a sum of squares. Better yet, our degree bounds only depend on geometric invariants of the curve and we show that there exist smooth curves and nonnegative elements for which our bounds are sharp. We deduce the existence of a multiplier g from a new Bertini Theorem in convex algebraic geometry and prove sharpness by deforming rational Harnack curves on toric surfaces. Our techniques also yield similar bounds for multipliers on surfaces of minimal degree, generalizing Hilbert's work on ternary forms.

math.AG↗
arXiv2017

Toric vector bundles and parliaments of polytopes

We introduce a collection of convex polytopes associated to a torus-equivariant vector bundle on a smooth complete toric variety. We show that the lattice points in these polytopes correspond to generators for the space of global sections and we relate edges to jets. Using the polytopes, we also exhibit toric vector bundles that are ample but not globally generated, and toric vector bundles that are ample and globally generated but not very ample.

math.AG↗
arXiv2014

Cones of Hilbert functions

We study the closed convex hull of various collections of Hilbert functions. Working over a standard graded polynomial ring with modules that are generated in degree zero, we describe the supporting hyperplanes and extreme rays for the cones generated by the Hilbert functions of all modules, all modules with bounded a-invariant, and all modules with bounded Castelnuovo-Mumford regularity. The first of these cones is infinite-dimensional and simplicial, the second is finite-dimensional but neither simplicial nor polyhedral, and the third is finite-dimensional and simplicial.

math.AC↗
arXiv2013

Sums of squares and varieties of minimal degree

Let X be a real nondegenerate projective subvariety such that its set of real points is Zariski dense. We prove that every real quadratic form that is nonnegative on X is a sum of squares of linear forms if and only if X is a variety of minimal degree. This substantially extends Hilbert's celebrated characterization of equality between nonnegative forms and sums of squares. We obtain a complete list for the cases of equality and also a classification of the lattice polytopes Q for which every nonnegative Laurent polynomial with support contained in 2Q is a sum of squares.

math.AG↗
arXiv2012

Vanishing theorems and the multigraded regularity of nonsingular subvarieties

Given scheme-theoretic equations for a nonsingular subvariety, we prove that the higher cohomology groups for suitable twists of the corresponding ideal sheaf vanish. From this result, we obtain linear bounds on the multigraded Castelnuovo-Mumford regularity of a nonsingular subvariety, and new criteria for the embeddings by adjoint line bundles to be projectively normal. A special case of our work recovers the vanishing theorem of Bertram, Ein, and Lazarsfeld.

math.AG↗
arXiv2011

Log-concavity of asymptotic multigraded Hilbert series

We study the linear map sending the numerator of the rational function representing the Hilbert series of a module to that of its r-th Veronese submodule. We show that the asymptotic behaviour as r tends to infinity depends on the multidegree of the module and the underlying positively multigraded polynomial ring. More importantly, we give a polyhedral description for the asymptotic polynomial and prove that the coefficients are log-concave. In particular, we extend some results by Beck-Stapledon and Diaconis-Fulman beyond the standard graded situation.

math.AC↗
arXiv2011

Linear determinantal equations for all projective schemes

We prove that every projective embedding of a connected scheme determined by the complete linear series of a sufficiently ample line bundle is defined by the 2-minors of a 1-generic matrix of linear forms. Extending the work of Eisenbud-Koh-Stillman for integral curves, we also provide effective descriptions for such determinantally presented ample line bundles on products of projective spaces, Gorenstein toric varieties, and smooth n-folds.

math.AG↗
arXiv2010

Laurent polynomials and Eulerian numbers

Duistermaat and van der Kallen show that there is no nontrivial complex Laurent polynomial all of whose powers have a zero constant term. Inspired by this, Sturmfels posed two questions: Do the constant terms of a generic Laurent polynomial form a regular sequence? If so, then what is the degree of the associated zero-dimensional ideal? In this note, we prove that the Eulerian numbers provide the answer to the second question. The proof involves reinterpreting the problem in terms of toric geometry.

math.CO↗
arXiv2009

Smooth and irreducible multigraded Hilbert schemes

The multigraded Hilbert scheme parametrizes all homogeneous ideals in a polynomial ring graded by an abelian group with a fixed Hilbert function. We prove that any multigraded Hilbert scheme is smooth and irreducible when the polynomial ring is ZZ[x,y], which establishes a conjecture of Haiman and Sturmfels.

math.AG↗