Classification of foliations of degree three on ${\mathbb{P}}_{\mathbb{C}}^2$ with a flat Legendre transform

Abstract

The set $\mathbf{F}(3)$ of foliations of degree three on the complex projective plane can be identified with a Zariski's open set of a projective space of dimension $23$ on which acts $\mathrm{Aut}({\mathbb{P}}_{\mathbb{C}}^2)$. The subset $\mathbf{FP}(3)$ of $\mathbf{F}(3)$ consisting of foliations of $\mathbf{F}(3)$ with a flat Legendre transform (dual web) is a Zariski closed subset of $\mathbf{F}(3)$. We classify up to automorphism of ${\mathbb{P}}_{\mathbb{C}}^2$ the elements of $\mathbf{FP}(3)$. More precisely, we show that up to automorphism there are $16$ foliations of degree three with a flat Legendre transform. From this classification we deduce that $\mathbf{FP}(3)$ has exactly $12$ irreducible components. We also deduce that up to automorphism there are $4$ convex foliations of degree three on ${\mathbb{P}}_{\mathbb{C}}^2.$

To appear in Annales de l'Institut Fourier