Lines on projective varieties and applications

The first part of this note contains a review of basic properties of the variety of lines contained in an embedded projective variety and passing through a general point. In particular we provide a detailed proof that for varieties defined by quadratic equations the base locus of the projective second fundamental form at a general point coincides, as a scheme, with the variety of lines. The second part concerns the problem of extending embedded projective manifolds, using the geometry of the variety of lines. Some applications to the case of homogeneous manifolds are included.Comment: 15 pages. One example removed; one remark and some references added; typos correcte

Moduli of curves on Enriques surfaces

We compute the number of moduli of all irreducible components of the moduli space of smooth curves on Enriques surfaces. In most cases, the moduli maps to the moduli space of Prym curves are generically injective or dominant. Exceptional behaviour is related to existence of Enriques--Fano threefolds and to curves with nodal Prym-canonical model.Comment: Final version, to appear in Advances in Mathematic

On the Zariski-Lipman conjecture for normal algebraic surfaces

We consider the Zariski-Lipman Conjecture on free module of derivations for algebraic surfaces. Using the theory of non-complete algebraic surfaces, and some basic results about ruled surfaces, we will prove the conjecture for several classes of affine and projective surfaces.Comment: Final version; to appear in Jour. London Math. So