Nakamaye's theorem on log canonical pairs

We generalize Nakamaye's description, via intersection theory, of the augmented base locus of a big and nef divisor on a normal pair with log-canonical singularities or, more generally, on a normal variety with non-lc locus of dimension at most 1. We also generalize Ein-Lazarsfeld-Mustata-Nakamaye-Popa's description, in terms of valuations, of the subvarieties of the restricted base locus of a big divisor on a normal pair with klt singularities.Comment: v2: We removed, in the introduction, the phrase about Choi's papers, as he uses Nakamaye's theorem in the semiample case. Updated references. v3: added reference to Ambro's "Quasi-log varieties". v4: improved exposition in sections 1, 2 and 4; slightly corrected the statement of Lemma 3.

Enumeration of surfaces containing an elliptic quartic curve

A very general surface of degree at least four in projective space of dimension three contains no curves other than intersections with surfaces. We find a formula for the degree of the locus of surfaces of degree at least five which contain some elliptic quartic curve. We also compute the degree of the locus of quartic surfaces containing an elliptic quartic curve, a case not covered by that formula.Comment: Minor typos corrected. To appear on Proceedings of the American Mathematical Societ

Efficiency of a stirred chemical reaction in a closed vessel

We perform a numerical study of the reaction efficiency in a closed vessel. Starting with a little spot of product, we compute the time needed to complete the reaction in the container following an advection-reaction-diffusion process. Inside the vessel it is present a cellular velocity field that transports the reactants. If the size of the container is not very large compared with the typical length of the velocity field one has a plateau of the reaction time as a function of the strength of the velocity field, $U$. This plateau appears both in the stationary and in the time-dependent flow. A comparison of the results for the finite system with the infinite case (for which the front speed, $v_f$, gives a simple estimate of the reacting time) shows the dramatic effect of the finite size.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Projective Degenerations of K3 Surfaces, Gaussian Maps, and Fano Threefolds

In this article we exhibit certain projective degenerations of smooth $K3$ surfaces of degree $2g-2$ in $\Bbb P^g$ (whose Picard group is generated by the hyperplane class), to a union of two rational normal scrolls, and also to a union of planes. As a consequence we prove that the general hyperplane section of such $K3$ surfaces has a corank one Gaussian map, if $g=11$ or $g\geq 13$. We also prove that the general such hyperplane section lies on a unique $K3$ surface, up to projectivities. Finally we present a new approach to the classification of prime Fano threefolds of index one, which does not rely on the existence of a line.Comment: 24 pages, AMS-LaTeX 1.