Seshadri constants via Lelong numbers

Abstract

One of Demailly's characterizations of Seshadri constants on ample line bundles works with Lelong numbers of certain positive singular hermitian metrics. In this note sections of multiples of the line bundle are used to produce such metrics and then to deduce another formula for Seshadri constants. It is applied to compute Seshadri constants on blown up products of curves, to disprove a conjectured characterization of maximal rationally connected quotients and to introduce a new approach to Nagata's conjecture.