Linear orbits of d-tuples of points in P^1

Abstract

The group PGL(2) of linear transformations of the projective line acts naturally on the d-dimensional projective space P^d parametrizing configurations (`d-tuples') of points on the line. In this note we are concerned with the orbits of this action of PGL(2) on P^d. The closure of each orbit is a projective subvariety of P^d of which we determine the degree, the `boundary'--i.e., the complement of an orbit in its closure--, and the multiplicity at points of the boundary. These results are used to provide a complete classification of the non-singular orbit closures, and criteria for an orbit closure to be non-singular in codimension 1.