# On the structure of varieties with degenerate Gauss mappings

## I. Joins

Form the join of $`k`$ varieties $`Y_1,\mathrm{},Y_kV`$,

$$X=S(Y_1,\mathrm{},Y_k)=\overline{_{y_jY_j}_{y_1,\mathrm{},y_k}}$$

where $`_{y_1,\mathrm{},y_k}`$ denotes the projective space spanned by $`y_1,\mathrm{},y_k`$ (generically a $`^{k1}`$). Note that $`\text{dim}X\mathrm{\Sigma }_j\text{dim}Y_j+(p1)`$ with equality expected.

Joins have degenerate Gauss maps with at least $`(k1)`$-dimensional fibers because Terracini’s lemma (see \[Z, II.1.10\]) implies that the tangent space to $`S(Y_1,\mathrm{},Y_k)`$ is constant along each $`_{y_1,\mathrm{},y_k}^{k1}`$.

Two special cases of this construction: 1. Let $`L`$ be a linear space. Then $`S(Y,L)`$ is a cone over $`Y`$ with vertex $`L`$. 2. $`Y_j=Y`$ for all $`j`$. Then $`X`$ is the union of the secant $`^{k1}`$’s to $`Y`$.

Joins are built out of cones in the sense that one can use e.g., the family of cones over $`Y_2`$ with vertices the points of $`Y_1`$ to sweep out $`X`$.

## II. Varieties built from tangent lines

## IIA. Tangential varieties

Let $`YV`$ be a variety and let $`\tau (Y)V`$ denote the union of tangent stars to $`Y`$. (If $`Y`$ is smooth, $`\tau (Y)`$ is the union of embedded tangent lines to $`Y`$.) $`\tau (Y)`$ has a degenerate Gauss map with at least one dimensional fibers. (see \[L\] for definitions). One can also take higher osculating varieties of $`Y`$ which will also have degenerate Gauss mappings. Examples IIB and IIC below generalize $`\tau (Y)`$.

## IIB. Hyperbands

Let $`YV`$ be a smooth variety of dimension $`m`$ and fix $`k=Nm1`$. For each $`yY`$, let $`L_y𝔾(m+k,V)`$ be such that $`\stackrel{~}{T}_yYL_y`$ and let $`X=_{yY}L_y`$. Then $`\text{dim}XN1`$ (with equality occurring generically) and $`X`$ will have degenerate Gauss map with at least one-dimensional fibers. Such a variety $`X`$ is called a hyperband (see \[AG, p. 255\]).

The hyperbands with fibers of dimension greater than one are not built by families of cones and developable varieties. So, they are not covered by the Griffiths-Harris structure theorem.

One could seek to generalize tangential varieties in a different way, namely by taking a subspace of the tangent lines through each point of $`Y`$. If $`xV`$ and $`vT_xV`$, we let $`_{x,v}^1`$ denote the line passing through $`x`$ with tangent space spanned by $`v`$. Let $`\mathrm{\Delta }TY`$ be a distribution. One could consider the variety $`X=_{yY,v\mathrm{\Delta }_y}_{y,v}^1`$ consisting of the union of tangent lines tangent to $`\mathrm{\Delta }`$. In general $`X`$ will not have a degenerate Gauss map, but it will in some special cases. The case where $`YZ`$ and one takes $`X=_{yY}\stackrel{~}{T}_yZ`$ is one special case. Here is another construction:

## IIC. Unions of conjugate spaces

Let $`II=II_{Y,y}S^2T_y^{}YN_yY`$ denote the projective second fundamental form of $`Y`$ at $`y`$ (see \[AG\], \[GH\] or \[L\] for a definition).

Let $`Y^{n1}^{n+1}`$ be a variety such that at general points there exist $`n1`$ simultaneous eigen-directions for the quadrics in its second fundamental form. This condition holds for generic varieties of codimension two. (To make the notion of eigen-direction precise, choose a nondegenerate quadric in $`II`$ to identify $`T`$ with $`T^{}`$ and consider the quadrics as endomorphisms of $`T`$. The result is independent of the choices.) Let $`X^n^{n+1}`$ be the union of one of these families of embedded tangent lines.

The directions indicated above are called conjugate directions on $`Y^{n1}`$.

In higher dimensions it is still possible to have a conjugate direction or conjugate space, but in this case $`Y`$ must satisfy a certain exterior differential system. As is shown in \[AG, p. 85\] local solutions to this system exist and depend on $`n(n1)`$ arbitrary functions of two variables.

In this case $`X`$ is the union of the tangential varieties of the integral curves for the distribution defined by the conjugate directions to $`Y`$.

## III. Varieties with $`f=1`$

## IIIA. Generic varieties with $`f=1`$

We say a variety $`XV`$ with $`f=1`$ is generic among varieties with $`f=1`$ if $`Z_F`$ consists of $`n1`$ distinct points and the variety each point sweeps out is $`(n1)`$-dimensional. The following theorem follows from results in \[AG\]:

###### Theorem

The varieties $`X^n^{n+a}`$ generic among varieties with $`f=1`$ are the union of conjugate lines to some variety $`Y^{n1}`$, with a finite number of lines tangent to a general point of $`Y`$.

## IIIB. Classification of $`X^3^4`$ with $`f=1`$

Here $`F`$ is a $`^1`$ and the focus $`Z_F`$ is of degree two. There are two classes:

Class 1: $`Z_F`$ consists of two distinct points, $`z_1,z_2`$.

1a. (Generic case) Each $`z_j`$ traces out a surface $`S_j`$. Here $`X`$ is the dual variety of a $`II`$-generic surface in $`^4`$ (its Gauss image). Locally $`X`$ may be described as the union of a family of lines tangent to conjugate directions on either surface (one must take the family that corresponds to conjugate directions on the other surface). It may be the case that globally $`S_1=S_2`$ and there is a unique construction.

1b. $`z_1`$ traces out a surface $`S`$ and $`z_2`$ traces out a curve $`C`$. Here $`X`$ may be described as the union of a family of conjugate lines to $`S`$, where the conjugate lines intersect along a curve.

1c. Both $`z_j`$’s trace out curves, $`C_j`$. In this case $`X=S(C_1,C_2)`$.

Class 2: $`Z_F`$ is a single point $`z`$ of multiplicity two.

2a. $`z`$ traces out a surface $`S`$. In this case $`S`$ will have a family of asymptotic lines and $`X`$ is the union of the asymptotic lines to $`S`$.

2b. $`z`$ traces out a curve $`C`$. An example of $`X`$ in this case is the union of a family of planes that are tangent to $`C`$. We conjecture that this is the only example.

2c. $`z`$ is fixed, then $`X`$ is a cone over $`z`$.

Acknowledgement. We are grateful to J. Piontkowski for pointing out that our interpretation of the Griffiths-Harris announcement in an earlier version of this paper was too narrow, and showing us how some of the examples above fit into the Griffiths-Harris perspective.