Arithmetic properties of projective varieties of almost minimal degree

We study the arithmetic properties of projective varieties of almost minimal degree, that is of non-degenerate irreducible projective varieties whose degree exceeds the codimension by precisely 2. We notably show, that such a variety $X \subset {\mathbb P}^r$ is either arithmetically normal (and arithmetically Gorenstein) or a projection of a variety of minimal degree $\tilde {X} \subset {\mathbb P}^{r + 1}$ from an appropriate point $p \in {\mathbb P}^{r + 1} \setminus \tilde {X}$. We focus on the latter situation and study $X$ by means of the projection $\tilde {X} \to X$. If $X$ is not arithmetically Cohen-Macaulay, the homogeneous coordinate ring $B$ of the projecting variety $\tilde {X}$ is the endomorphism ring of the canonical module $K(A)$ of the homogeneous coordinate ring $A$ of $X.$ If $X$ is non-normal and is maximally Del Pezzo, that is arithmetically Cohen-Macaulay but not arithmetically normal $B$ is just the graded integral closure of $A.$ It turns out, that the geometry of the projection $\tilde {X} \to X$ is governed by the arithmetic depth of $X$ in any case. We study in particular the case in which the projecting variety $\tilde {X} \subset {\mathbb P}^{r + 1}$ is a cone (over a) rational normal scroll. In this case $X$ is contained in a variety of minimal degree $Y \subset {\mathbb P}^r$ such that \codim_Y(X) = 1. We use this to approximate the Betti numbers of $X$. In addition we present several examples to illustrate our results and we draw some of the links to Fujita's classification of polarized varieties of $\Delta$-genus 1.Comment: corrected, revised version. J. Algebraic Geom., to appea

On an endomorphism ring of local cohomology

Let $I$ be an ideal of a local ring $(R,\mathfrak m)$ with $d = \dim R.$ For the local cohomology module $H^i_I(R)$ it is a well-known fact that it vanishes for $i > d$ and is an Artinian $R$-module for $i = d.$ In the case that the Hartshorne-Lichtenbaum Vanishing Theorem fails, that is $H^d_I(R) \not= 0,$ we explore its fine structure. In particular, we investigate its endomorphism ring and related connectedness properties. In the case $R$ is complete we prove - as a technical tool - that $H^d_I(R) \simeq H^d_{\mathfrak m}(R/J)$ for a certain ideal $J \subset R.$ Thus, properties of $H^d_I(R)$ and its Matlis dual might be described in terms of the local cohomology supported in the maximal ideal.Comment: 8 pages, The paper will appear in Journal "Communications in Algebra