Codimension of jumping loci

Abstract

Suppose that $\mathcal{E}$ is a vector bundle on a smooth projective variety $X$. Given a family of curves $C$ on $X$, we study how the Harder-Narasimhan filtration of $\mathcal{E}{|}_C$ changes as we vary $C$ in our family. Heuristically we expect that the locus where the slopes in the Harder-Narasimhan filtration jump by $\hat{I}¼$ should have codimension which depends linearly on $\hat{I}¼$. We identify the geometric properties which determine whether or not this expected behavior holds. We then apply our results to study rank $2$ bundles on ${\mathbb{P}}^2$ and to study singular loci of moduli spaces of curves.

minor revision, 46 pages, to appear in Journal of Algebraic Geometry,