On rationalizing divisors

Abstract

Rational pairs generalize the notion of rational singularities to reduced pairs $(X,D)$. In this paper we deal with the problem of determining whether a normal variety $X$ has a rationalizing divisor, i.e. a reduced divisor $D$ such that $(X, D)$ is a rational pair. We give a criterion for cones to have a rationalizing divisor, and relate the existence of such a divisor to the locus of rational singularities of a variety.