Formats of 6 x 6 skew matrices of linear forms with vanishing Pfaffian

Abstract

We show that every skew-symmetric 6 x 6 matrix of linear forms with vanishing Pfaffian is congruent to one of finitely many types of matrices, each of which is characterised by a specific pattern of zeroes (and some other linear relations) among its entries. Such matrices are for example important for compactifying moduli spaces of stable rank 2 vector bundles with Chern classes c_1=0, c_2=2 on cubic threefolds.

arXiv comment17 pages; v2: section 4 has been expanded to include a proof of the stability properties of the matrices in Table 2