Mori Dream Spaces

This article is based on the 7th Takagi Lectures that the author delivered at the University of Tokyo on November 21-23, 2009.We explore the circle of ideas connecting finite generation of the Cox ring, Mori dream spaces and invariant theory

The cone of pseudo-effective divisors of log varieties after Batyrev

In these notes we investigate the cone of nef curves of projective varieties, which is the dual cone to the cone of pseudo-effective divisors. We prove a structure theorem for the cone of nef curves of projective $\mathbb Q$-factorial klt pairs of arbitrary dimension from the point of view of the Minimal Model Program. This is a generalization of Batyrev's structure theorem for the cone of nef curves of projective terminal threefolds.Comment: 15 pages. v2: Completely rewritten paper. Structure theorem for the cone of nef curves proved in arbitrary dimension using results of Birkar, Cascini, Hacon and McKernan. To appear in Mathematische Zeitschrif

Termination of (many) 4-dimensional log flips

We prove that any sequence of 4-dimensional log flips that begins with a klt pair (X,D) such that -(K+D) is numerically equivalent to an effective divisor, terminates. This implies termination of flips that begin with a log Fano pair and termination of flips in a relative birational setting. We also prove termination of directed flips with big K+D. As a consequence, we prove existence of minimal models of 4-dimensional dlt pairs of general type, existence of 5-dimensional log flips, and rationality of Kodaira energy in dimension 4.Comment: 13 pages; a minor change in the proof of Thm.4.

Characterization of the 4-canonical birationality of algebraic threefolds

In this article we present a 3-dimensional analogue of a well-known theorem of E. Bombieri (in 1973) which characterizes the bi-canonical birationality of surfaces of general type. Let $X$ be a projective minimal 3-fold of general type with $\mathbb{Q}$-factorial terminal singularities and the geometric genus $p_g(X)\ge 5$. We show that the 4-canonical map $\phi_4$ is {\it not} birational onto its image if and only if $X$ is birationally fibred by a family $\mathscr{C}$ of irreducible curves of geometric genus 2 with $K_X\cdot C_0=1$ where $C_0$ is a general irreducible member in $\mathscr{C}$.Comment: 25 pages, to appear in Mathematische Zeitschrif

Systems of Hess-Appel'rot type

We construct higher-dimensional generalizations of the classical Hess-Appel'rot rigid body system. We give a Lax pair with a spectral parameter leading to an algebro-geometric integration of this new class of systems, which is closely related to the integration of the Lagrange bitop performed by us recently and uses Mumford relation for theta divisors of double unramified coverings. Based on the basic properties satisfied by such a class of systems related to bi-Poisson structure, quasi-homogeneity, and conditions on the Kowalevski exponents, we suggest an axiomatic approach leading to what we call the "class of systems of Hess-Appel'rot type".Comment: 40 pages. Comm. Math. Phys. (to appear

Weakly--exceptional quotient singularities

A singularity is said to be weakly--exceptional if it has a unique purely log terminal blow up. In dimension $2$, V. Shokurov proved that weakly--exceptional quotient singularities are exactly those of types $D_{n}$, $E_{6}$, $E_{7}$, $E_{8}$. This paper classifies the weakly--exceptional quotient singularities in dimensions $3$ and $4$