Normal bundles of rational curves in projective spaces

Abstract

We determine the splitting (isomorphism) type of the normal bundle of a generic genus-0 curve with 1 or 2 components in any projective space, as well as the (sometimes nontrivial) way the bundle deforms locally with a general deformation of the curve. We deduce an enumerative formula for divisorial loci of smooth rational curves whose normal bundle is of non-generic splitting type.