On the equations defining some Hilbert schemes

Abstract

We work out details of the extrinsic geometry for two Hilbert schemes of some contemporary interest: the Hilbert scheme of two points on the projective plane and the dense open set parametrizing non-planar clusters in the punctual Hilbert scheme of clusters of length four on affine three-space with support at the origin. We find explicit equations in natural projective, respectively affine embeddings for these spaces. In particular, we answer a question of Bernd Sturmfels who asked for a description of the latter space that is amenable to further computations. While the explicit equations we find are controlled in a precise way by the representation theory of SL_3, our arguments also rely on computer algebra.