Rational normal scroll

In mathematics, a rational normal scroll is a ruled surface of degree n in projective space of dimension n + 1. Here "rational" means birational to projective space, "scroll" is an old term for ruled surface, and "normal" is an old term meaning that the linear system defining the embedding is complete (and has nothing to do with normal schemes).

A non-degenerate irreducible surface of degree m – 1 in P^m is either a rational normal scroll or the Veronese surface.

Construction

In projective space of dimension m + n + 1 choose two complementary linear subspaces of dimensions m > 0 and n > 0. Choose rational normal curves in these two linear subspaces, and choose an isomorphism φ between them. Then the rational normal surface consists of all lines joining the points x and φ(x). In the degenerate case when one of m or n is 0, the rational normal scroll becomes a cone over a rational normal curve. If m < n then the rational normal curve of degree m is uniquely determined by the rational normal scroll and is called the directrix of the scroll.

References

• Griffiths, Phillip; Harris, Joseph (1994), Principles of algebraic geometry, Wiley Classics Library, New York: John Wiley & Sons, ISBN 978-0-471-05059-9, MR 1288523