# Fano varieties with high degree

A Fano variety is a smooth projective variety defined over an algebraically closed field.

By Yau’s proof of Calabi’s conjecture (\[Y1\], \[Y2\]), complex Fano varieties are compact Kähler varieties with positive definite Ricci curvature (\[Bo1\], \[Be\], 11.16.ii)). In particular, compact complex varieties with a positive Kähler-Einstein metric are Fano varieties.

Not all complex Fano varieties however have a Kähler-Einstein metric, because this forces the automorphism group to be reductive (\[Be\], cor. 11.54). This excludes for example the projective plane blown-up at one or two points. However, again, this condition is not sufficient to ensure the existence of a Kähler-Einstein metric (Tian gives in \[T\] an example of a Fano variety with no Kähler-Einstein metric and finite automorphism group). The existence of such a metric also implies that the tangent bundle is $`(K_X)`$-stable.

If $`X`$ is a Fano variety of dimension $`n`$, we denote by $`\delta (X)`$ the $`n`$th root of the intersection number $`(K_X)^n`$. We let $`\rho _X`$ be the rank of the Néron-Severi group of $`X`$ (also called the Picard number of $`X`$), and $`\iota _X`$ the index of $`X`$, i.e. the greatest integer by which the canonical class is divisible; it satisfies $`\iota _Xn+1`$, with equality if and only if $`X`$ is isomorphic to $`𝐏^n`$. Various upper bounds on $`\delta (X)`$ are known when the base field has characteristic zero.

* For any Fano variety $`X`$ of dimension $`n`$, we have (\[KMM2\])

$$\delta (X)3(2^n1)(n+1)^{(n+1)(2^n1)}.$$
* When $`\rho _X=1`$, we have (\[C\], \[N\], \[KMM1\], \[R\])

$$\delta (X)\mathrm{max}(n\iota _X,n+1)n(n+1).$$
* When $`\rho _X=1`$ and the tangent bundle of $`X`$ is $`(K_X)`$-semi-stable, we have (\[R\])

$$\delta (X)2n.$$

When $`X`$ has a Kähler-Einstein metric, classical methods of differential geometry give (see \[D\])

$$\delta (X)(2n1)\left(\frac{2^{n+1}(n!)^2}{(2n)!}\right)^{1/n}2n$$

which is asymptotically the same as Ran’s bound. Finally, Reid proved in \[Re\] that the tangent bundle of a Fano variety $`X`$ with $`\rho _X=\iota _X=1`$ is $`(K_X)`$-stable.

The purpose of this note is to construct, for each positive integers $`k`$ and $`n`$, Fano varieties of dimension $`n`$ and Picard Number $`k`$ for which $`\delta (X)`$ grows essentially like $`n^k`$.

Batyrev remarked in \[B\] that for the $`n`$-dimensional Fano variety<sup>1</sup><sup>1</sup>1We follow Grothendieck’s notation: for a vector bundle $``$, the projectivization $`𝐏`$ is the space of hyperplanes in the fibers of $``$.

$$X=𝐏\left(𝒪_{𝐏^{n1}}𝒪_{𝐏^{n1}}(n1)\right),$$

we have

$$\delta (X)=\left(\frac{(2n1)^n1}{n1}\right)^{1/n}2n.$$

Consider more generally

$$X=𝐏(𝒪_{𝐏^s}^r𝒪_{𝐏^s}(a)),$$

where $`r`$, $`s`$ and $`a`$ are non-negative integers. We have

$$K_X(r+1)L+(s+1a)H,$$

where $`L`$ is a divisor associated with the line bundle $`𝒪_X(1)`$ and $`H`$ is the pull-back on $`X`$ of a hyperplane in $`𝐏^s`$. It follows that $`X`$ is a Fano variety when $`as`$ <sup>2</sup><sup>2</sup>2This can be seen by noting that $`𝒪_X(L+H)`$ is the line bundle $`𝒪(1)`$ on $`X`$ associated with the description of $`X`$ as $`𝐏(𝒪_{𝐏^s}(1)^r𝒪_{𝐏^s}(a+1))`$. It is therefore ample..

In the intersection ring of $`X`$, we have the relations $`L^{r+1}=aHL^r`$ and $`L^rH^s=1`$. Setting $`n=dim(X)=r+s`$, we get

$`(K_X)^n`$ $`={\displaystyle \underset{i=0}{\overset{n}{}}}\left({\displaystyle \genfrac{}{}{0pt}{}{n}{i}}\right)(r+1)^iL^iH^{ni}`$   
$`={\displaystyle \underset{i=r}{\overset{n}{}}}\left({\displaystyle \genfrac{}{}{0pt}{}{n}{i}}\right)(r+1)^i(aH)^{ir}L^r\pi ^{}H^{ni}`$   
$`={\displaystyle \underset{i=r}{\overset{n}{}}}\left({\displaystyle \genfrac{}{}{0pt}{}{n}{i}}\right)(r+1)^ia^{ir}`$   
$`(r+1)^na^{nr}`$   
Take $`a=s=nr`$; the function $`rr^n(nr)^{nr}`$ reaches its maximum near $`\frac{n}{\mathrm{log}n}`$. Taking $`r=\left[\frac{n}{\mathrm{log}n}\right]`$, we get

$`(K_X)^n`$ $`\left({\displaystyle \frac{n}{\mathrm{log}n}}\right)^n\left(n{\displaystyle \frac{n}{\mathrm{log}n}}\right)^{n\frac{n}{\mathrm{log}n}}`$   
$`n^{2n\frac{n}{\mathrm{log}n}}{\displaystyle \frac{1}{(\mathrm{log}n)^n}}\left(1{\displaystyle \frac{1}{\mathrm{log}n}}\right)^n`$   
$`=n^{2n}e^n{\displaystyle \frac{1}{(\mathrm{log}n)^n}}\left(1{\displaystyle \frac{1}{\mathrm{log}n}}\right)^n`$   
$`\left({\displaystyle \frac{3n^2}{10\mathrm{log}n}}\right)^n`$   
for $`\mathrm{log}n\frac{10}{103e}`$, i.e. $`n226`$. This lower bound for $`(K_X)^n`$ actually holds for all $`n3`$ by direct calculation. Furthermore, even when taking the value of $`r`$ which gives the highest degree, numerical calculations show that $`\delta (X)`$ is still equivalent to some (non-zero) multiple of $`\frac{n^2}{\mathrm{log}n}`$.

###### Proposition 1.

For each $`n3`$, there is a Fano variety $`X`$ of dimension $`n`$, index $`1`$ and Picard number $`2`$ such that

$$\delta (X)\frac{3n^2}{10\mathrm{log}n}.$$

If we analyze the construction, we see that we need to start from a Fano variety with both high index and high degree. The variety $`X`$ constructed in the proposition has index $`1`$, hence cannot be used to iterate the process. However, if one takes instead $`a=sr=n2r`$ and the same $`r`$, the index of $`X`$ becomes $`r+1`$, and, although the degree becomes slightly smaller, it still satisfies

$`(K_X)^n`$ $`\left({\displaystyle \frac{n}{\mathrm{log}n}}\right)^n\left(n2{\displaystyle \frac{n}{\mathrm{log}n}}\right)^{n\frac{n}{\mathrm{log}n}}`$   
$`\left({\displaystyle \frac{n^2}{7\mathrm{log}n}}\right)^n`$   
for $`\mathrm{log}n\frac{14}{7e}`$; this lower bound actually holds for all $`n4`$.

###### Proposition 2.

For each positive integers $`k2`$ and $`n4`$ such that $`\frac{n}{\mathrm{log}n}2^{k2}`$, there exist a positive constant $`c(k)`$ <sup>3</sup><sup>3</sup>3One can take $`c(k)={\displaystyle \frac{1}{4^{k^2k+2}}}`$. and a Fano variety $`X`$ of dimension $`n`$ and Picard number $`k`$ such that

$$\delta (X)\frac{c(k)n^k}{(\mathrm{log}n)^{k1}}.$$

###### Proof.

We proceed by induction on $`k`$, assuming in addition that the index of $`X`$ is $`\left[\frac{n}{2^{k2}\mathrm{log}n}\right]+1`$. We just did it for $`k=2`$. Assume the construction is done for $`k2`$. Let $`n`$ be an integer as in the proposition, and set

$$r=\left[\frac{n}{2^{k1}\mathrm{log}n}\right]s=nr.$$

Since $`\frac{n}{\mathrm{log}n}2^{k1}`$, the integer $`r`$ is positive. Also, $`r\frac{n}{4}`$ because $`n4`$ and $`k2`$. It implies

$$\frac{s}{\mathrm{log}s}\frac{3n}{4\mathrm{log}n}>2^{k2},$$

hence there exists by induction a Fano variety $`Y`$ of dimension $`s`$, index $`\iota _Y=\left[\frac{s}{2^{k2}\mathrm{log}s}\right]+1`$ and Picard number $`k`$, such that

$$\delta (Y)\frac{c(k)s^k}{(\mathrm{log}s)^{k1}}.$$

Write $`K_Y=\iota _YH`$, with $`H`$ ample on $`Y`$, and let

$$X=𝐏(𝒪_Y^r𝒪_Y((\iota _Yr1)H)),$$

with projection $`\pi :XY`$, so that $`K_X=(r+1)(L+\pi ^{}H)`$. As above, it implies that $`X`$ is a Fano variety of dimension $`n=r+s`$ when $`r<\iota _Y`$; note also that $`\rho _X=k+1`$ when $`r>0`$, and $`\iota _X=r+1`$. We get again

$`(K_X)^n`$ $`=(r+1)^n{\displaystyle \underset{i=0}{\overset{n}{}}}\left({\displaystyle \genfrac{}{}{0pt}{}{n}{i}}\right)L^i\pi ^{}H^{ni}`$   
$`=(r+1)^n{\displaystyle \underset{i=r}{\overset{n}{}}}\left({\displaystyle \genfrac{}{}{0pt}{}{n}{i}}\right)((\iota _Yr1)H)^{ir}L^r\pi ^{}H^{ni}`$   
$`=(r+1)^n{\displaystyle \underset{i=r}{\overset{n}{}}}\left({\displaystyle \genfrac{}{}{0pt}{}{n}{i}}\right)(\iota _Yr1)^{ir}H^s`$   
$`(r+1)^n(\left({\displaystyle \genfrac{}{}{0pt}{}{n}{r}}\right)+(\iota _Yr1)^s)H^s`$   
$`\left({\displaystyle \frac{n}{2^{k1}\mathrm{log}n}}\right)^n(1+(\iota _Yr1)^s)\left({\displaystyle \frac{c(k)s^k}{(\mathrm{log}s)^{k1}}}\right)^s{\displaystyle \frac{1}{\iota _Y^s}}`$   
Note that

$$\iota _Y\frac{s}{2^{k2}\mathrm{log}n}\frac{3n}{2^k\mathrm{log}n}.$$

If $`\frac{n}{\mathrm{log}n}72^{k2}`$, we obtain

$$\frac{r+1}{\iota _Y}\frac{2}{3}+\frac{2^k\mathrm{log}n}{3n}\frac{6}{7};$$

if $`\frac{n}{\mathrm{log}n}<72^{k2}`$, we get

$$\frac{1}{\iota _Y}\frac{1}{\frac{s}{2^{k2}\mathrm{log}s}+1}\frac{1}{\frac{n}{2^{k2}\mathrm{log}n}+1}\frac{1}{8}.$$

In all cases,

$$(1+(\iota _Yr1)^s)\frac{1}{\iota _Y^s}\frac{1}{8^n}.$$

It follows that

$`\delta (X)`$ $`{\displaystyle \frac{n}{2^{k1}\mathrm{log}n}}\left({\displaystyle \frac{c(k)(3n)^k}{4^k(\mathrm{log}n)^{k1}}}\right)^{1\frac{r}{n}}{\displaystyle \frac{1}{8}}`$   
$`n^{1+kk\frac{1}{2^{k1}\mathrm{log}n}}{\displaystyle \frac{1}{2^{k+2}\mathrm{log}n}}{\displaystyle \frac{c(k)3^k}{4^k(\mathrm{log}n)^{k1}}}`$   
$`n^{k+1}{\displaystyle \frac{1}{(\mathrm{log}n)^k}}{\displaystyle \frac{c(k)3^k}{e2^{k+2}4^k}},`$   
which proves the proposition. ∎