Cubic fourfolds with birational Fano varieties of lines

Abstract

We give several examples of pairs of non-isomorphic cubic fourfolds whose Fano varieties of lines are birationally equivalent (and in one example isomorphic). Two of our examples, which are special families of conjecturally irrational cubics in $\calC_{12}$, provide new evidence for the conjecture that Fourier-Mukai partners are birationally equivalent. We explore how various notions of equivalence for cubic fourfolds are related, and we conjecture that cubic fourfolds with birationally equivalent Fano varieties of lines are themselves birationally equivalent.