Monday, 9 August 2010

ag.algebraic geometry - What is the Euler characteristic of a Hilbert scheme of points of a singular algebraic curve?

Let $X$ be a smooth surface of genus $g$ and $S^nX$ its n-symmetrical product (that is, the quotient of $X times ... times X$ by the symmetric group $S_n$). There is a well known, cool formula computing the Euler characteristic of all these n-symmetrical products:



$$sum_{d geq 0} chi left(X^{[d]} right)q^d = (1-q)^{- chi(X)}$$



It is known that $S^nX cong X^{[n]}$, the Hilbert scheme of 0-subschemes of length n over $X$. Hence, the previous formula also computes the Euler characteristic of these spaces.



What about for singular surfaces? More precisely, if $X$ is a singular complex algebraic curve, do you know how to compute the Euler characteristic of its n-symmetrical powers $S^nX$? More importantly: what is the Euler characteristic of $X^{[n]}$, the Hilbert scheme of 0-schemes of length n over $X$?



I guess it is too much to hope for a formula as neat as the one given for the smooth case. Examples, formulas for a few cases or general behaviour (e.g. if for large n, $chileft(X^{[n]}right) = 0)$ are all very welcome!

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