Canonical forms of $2\times 3 \times 3$ tensors over the real field, algebraically closed fields, and finite fields

Abstract

We classify the orbits of elements of the tensor product spaces ${\mathbb{F}}^2\otimes {\mathbb{F}}^3 \otimes {\mathbb{F}}^3$ for all finite; real; and algebraically closed fields under the action of two natural groups. The result can also be interpreted as the classification of the orbits in the $17$-dimensional projective space of the Segre variety product of a projective line and two projective planes. This extends the classification of the orbits in the $7$-dimensional projective space of the Segre variety product of three projective lines [M. Lavrauw and J. Sheekey: Orbits of the stabiliser group of the Segre variety product of three projective lines, Finite Fields Appl. (2014)]. The proof is geometric in nature, relies on properties of the Segre embedding, and uses the terminology of projective spaces.