Rank Function Equations and their solution sets

We examine so-called rank function equations and their solutions consisting of non-nilpotent matrices. Secondly, we present some geometrical properties of the set of solutions to certain rank function equations in the nilpotent case.Comment: 8 pages, all comments welcome

Seshadri constants and special configurations of points in the projective plane

In the present note, we focus on certain properties of special curves that might be used in the theory of multi-point Seshadri constants for ample line bundles on the complex projective plane. In particular, we provide three Ein-Lazarsfeld-Xu-type lemmas for plane curves and a lower bound on the multi-point Seshadri constant of $\mathcal{O}_{\mathbb{P}^{2}}(1)$ under the assumption that the chosen points are not very general. In the second part, we focus on certain arrangements of points in the plane which are given by line arrangements. We show that in some cases the multi-point Seshadri constants of $\mathcal{O}_{\mathbb{P}^{2}}(1)$ centered at singular loci of line arrangements are computed by lines from the arrangement having some extremal properties.Comment: 13 pages, 1 figure. This is the final version which incorporates the referee remarks. To appear in Rocky Mountain Journal of Mathematic

On line and pseudoline configurations and ball-quotients

In this note we show that there are no real configurations of $d\geq 4$ lines in the projective plane such that the associated Kummer covers of order $3^{d-1}$ are ball-quotients and there are no configurations of $d\geq 4$ lines such that the Kummer covers of order $4^{d-1}$ are ball-quotients. Moreover, we show that there exists only one configuration of real lines such that the associated Kummer cover of order $5^{d-1}$ is a ball-quotient. In the second part we consider the so-called topological $(n_{k})$-configurations and we show, using Shnurnikov's inequality, that for $n < 27$ there do not exist $(n_{5})$-configurations and and for $n < 41$ there do not exist $(n_{6})$-configurations.Comment: 7 pages, one figure. This is the final version, incorporating the suggestions of the referee, to appear in ARS Mathematica Contemporane

Curve configurations in the projective plane and their characteristic numbers

In this paper we study the concept of characteristic numbers and Chern slopes in the context of curve configurations in the real and complex projective plane. We show that some extremal line configurations inherit the same asymptotic invariants, namely asymptotic Chern slopes and asymptotic Harbourne constants which sheds some light on relations between the bounded negativity conjecture and the geography problem for surfaces of general type. We discuss some properties of Kummer extensions, especially in the context of ball-quotients. Moreover, we prove that for a certain class of smooth curve configurations in the projective plane their characterstic numbers are bounded by $8/3$.Comment: 12 page

On the Sylvester-Gallai and the orchard problem for pseudoline arrangements

We study a non-trivial extreme case of the orchard problem for $12$ pseudolines and we provide a complete classification of pseudoline arrangements having $19$ triple points and $9$ double points. We have also classified those that can be realized with straight lines. They include new examples different from the known example of B\"or\"oczky. Since Melchior's inequality also holds for arrangements of pseudolines, we are able to deduce that some combinatorial point-line configurations cannot be realized using pseudolines. In particular, this gives a negative answer to one of Gr\"unbaum's problems. We formulate some open problems which involve our new examples of line arrangements.Comment: 5 figures, 11 pages, to appear in Periodica Mathematica Hungaric

Bounded negativity, Harbourne constants and transversal arrangements of curves

The Bounded Negativity Conjecture predicts that for every complex projective surface $X$ there exists a number $b(X)$ such that $C^2\geq -b(X)$ holds for all reduced curves $C\subset X$. For birational surfaces $f:Y\to X$ there have been introduced certain invariants (Harbourne constants) relating to the effect the numbers $b(X)$, $b(Y)$ and the complexity of the map $f$. These invariants have been studied previously when $f$ is the blowup of all singular points of an arrangement of lines in ${\mathbb P}^2$, of conics and of cubics. In the present note we extend these considerations to blowups of ${\mathbb P}^2$ at singular points of arrangements of curves of arbitrary degree $d$. We also considerably generalize and modify the approach witnessed so far and study transversal arrangements of sufficiently positive curves on arbitrary surfaces with the non-negative Kodaira dimension.Comment: This is the final version, incorporating the suggestions of the referee, to appear in Annales de l'Institut Fourier Grenobl