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A Cartier divisor $D$ on an integral $n$-dimensional projective variety is big when $h^0(X,mD)\ge c{m}^n$ for some $c>0$ and infinitely many positive integers $m$. Equivalently, its Iitaka dimension is $n$. Kodaira's lemma characterizes bigness by an ample-plus-effective decomposition, and the birational linear system criterion for bigness shows why this growth captures the full variety.

A big real divisor is an actual positive real combination of big Cartier divisors. Equivalently it is real linearly equivalent, or numerically equivalent, to an ample real divisor plus an effective real divisor. The rational approximation of an ample-plus-effective real divisor and Kodaira's lemma connect these formulations. Fujino's notes on big real divisors give the definition also for nonnormal varieties; bigness under finite normalization relates it to section growth.

A Cartier divisor on an integral projective variety is big if and only if some multiple has a complete linear system of a divisor giving a rational map birational onto its image. Kodaira's lemma embeds a very ample subsystem in a suitable multiple. Conversely, $n$ algebraically independent elements among the section ratios give $\left(\genfrac{}{}{0ex}{}{q+n}{n}\right)$ independent degree-$q$ section monomials, where $n=\dim X$. Smoothness is not necessary.

By Kodaira's lemma for the big divisor $K_X$, choose an integer $q>0$, an ample Cartier divisor $A$, and an effective divisor $E$ withIf an integral curve $C$ is not a component of $E$, nonnegative intersections of distinct curves giveThus every curve with $K_X\cdot C<0$ is one of the finitely many components of $E$. In particular,This is the surface case of negative curves of a big real divisor lie in finitely many divisors. The proof does not assert that every negative curve on $X$ belongs to this finite set; it concerns curves negative against this particular big canonical class.

First work on an integral component. Write the big real divisor as $D{\sim }_{\mathbb{R}}B+E$ with $B$ ample real divisor and $E$ effective real Cartier, using Kodaira's lemma. Let $E_1,\dots ,E_k$ be the finitely many integral components of its support. For an integral projective curve $C$ not contained in this support, restriction of each effective Cartier summand to $C$ is effective, soThereforeThis proves negative curves of a big real divisor lie in finitely many divisors.

Now let $A$ be the given ample divisor. Openness of the ample cone gives a $\delta >0$ such that $B-ϵA$ is ample for $0<ϵ\le \delta$. For each of the finitely many $E_i$, the assumption that $D{|}_{E_i}$ is ample similarly gives a ${\delta }_i>0$ such that $(D-ϵA){|}_{E_i}$ is ample for $0<ϵ\le {\delta }_i$. Choose a single positive $ϵ$ smaller than all these bounds.

If $C$ is contained in some $E_i$, its intersection with $D-ϵA$ is positive by that restriction. OtherwiseIn particular $D-ϵA$ is nef:Only the finitely many exceptional support components are needed for the restriction test; no uniform bound over all subvarieties was assumed.

For a reducible projective scheme, use componentwise bigness on a projective scheme and repeat this argument on each reduced irreducible component. Collect their exceptional supports and take the minimum of all the finitely many positive bounds. Codimension one here is measured in the relevant irreducible component. Every integral curve lies in a component, so the same conclusion holds on $X$. Nilpotent structure does not affect these curve intersection numbers.

An ample real divisor is a finite positive real combination of ample Cartier divisors:Equivalently its numerical class lies in the ample cone. This is a numerical condition even when the coefficients are irrational; it does not mean that some integer multiple of $D$ must be an integral divisor.

On an integral projective variety, a big real divisor is a finite positive real combination of big Cartier divisors. Equivalently, by the real form of Kodaira's lemma,For an integral Cartier divisor, bigness means maximal section-growth order $h^0(X,mD)\ge c{m}^{\dim X}$ along sufficiently divisible positive $m$, or Iitaka dimension $\dim X$. The real linear equivalence of divisors formulation permits finite positive combinations of effective Cartier divisors, whose supports are codimension one. The definitions and the ample-plus-effective formulation on integral varieties are discussed in Fujino's notes on big real divisors.

For the paper's assertions on a general projective scheme, use componentwise bigness on a projective scheme: require bigness on every reduced irreducible component. All arguments below can then be carried out on those finitely many integral components; ampleness is also detected there. On a reducible scheme, merely asking for maximal total section growth on one component is insufficient. For example $X={\mathbb{P}}^2⨿{\mathbb{P}}^2$, with $D$ restricting to $\mathcal{O}(1)$ on the first component and $\mathcal{O}(-1)$ on the second, has quadratic total section growth, but negative intersection with every line in the second component. No finite collection of codimension-one subvarieties can contain all those lines. Thus that weaker meaning would make part (ii) false. In dimension zero the positivity statements are vacuous and every line bundle is ample; the compatible bigness convention also regards it as big.

Fix any ample divisor $A$. Choose $q\gg 0$ so that both $qA$ and $(q-1)A$ have nonzero global sections, and choose $F\in |qA|$. Condition (1) and the section subtraction lemma for big divisors yield an integer $j>0$ with $jD-qA\sim E_0\ge 0$. Adding an effective member of $|(q-1)A|$ gives $jD\sim A+E$. Thus (1) implies the stronger condition (2').

If $jD\sim A+E$ with $A$ ample and $E$ effective, multiplication by the section of $qE$ injects $H^0(X,qA)$ into $H^0(X,qjD)$. The positive leading coefficient of the ample Hilbert polynomial supplies condition (1) along the infinite sequence $m=qj$. Condition (2) implies (3). Conversely, if $jD\equiv A+E$, put $P=jD-E$. The Cartier divisor $P$ is numerically equivalent to $A$, hence ample by Kleiman's criterion; the actual equality $jD=P+E$ gives (2).

We have proved (1)$\Rightarrow$(2')$\Rightarrow$(2)$\Rightarrow$(1), and (3)$\Rightarrow$(2)$\Rightarrow$(3). Also (2') implies (3'), while (3') implies (3). Hence all five conditions are equivalent. They characterize a big divisor; the ample-plus-effective formulation is Kodaira's lemma. The inconsistent use of $n$ and $j$ in the printed multiplier is resolved by using $j$ throughout.

Choose a very ample divisor $A$. By the stronger form of Kodaira's lemma, $jD\sim A+E$ for some effective divisor $E$. The subsystem $s_E{H}^0(X,A)\subseteq H^0(X,jD)$ defines the embedding given by $A$ on $X\setminus \mathrm{Supp}E$. Ratios of its sections generate the function field $k(X)$. The map from the complete complete linear system of a divisor contains these ratios, so it induces the same function field and is birational onto its image.

The converse is true; smoothness is unnecessary. If $|jD|$ gives a birational map, choose $n$ algebraically independent ratios $s_1/s_0,\dots ,s_n/s_0$ among a generating set of its section ratios. For every $q$, the sectionsare linearly independent by algebraic independence. Therefore $h^0(X,qjD)\ge \left(\genfrac{}{}{0ex}{}{q+n}{n}\right)$, giving condition (1) of part (iii). This is the birational linear system criterion for bigness.

Suppose $D{\sim }_{\mathbb{R}}tA+E$ on an integral projective variety, where $t>0$, $A$ is ample Cartier and $E$ is effective real Cartier. Then $D$ is an actual positive combination of big Cartier divisors.

Here is a finite-dimensional proof. First assume $X$ is normal. Express $D$ and $E$ in finite Cartier bases and write $D-tA-E$ as a finite combination of principal Cartier divisors. The union of the supports of these finitely many divisors has finitely many prime components. Their integer multiplicities turn the equality into finitely many rational linear equations and effectivity into finitely many rational linear inequalities. The given coefficient tuple lies in a rational polyhedron. Take its smallest face; within that face it lies in the relative interior, and $t>0$ is an open condition. A small simplex with rational vertices in this relative interior contains the tuple. Each vertex gives $D_{\nu }{\sim }_{\mathbb{Q}}{t}_{\nu }A+E_{\nu }$ with $t_{\nu }>0$ and $E_{\nu }\ge 0$. Clearing denominators and applying Kodaira's lemma shows that $D_{\nu }$ is a positive rational multiple of a big Cartier divisor. Taking the original convex weights proves the required actual equality.

If $X$ is nonnormal, pull the finite Cartier bases and the relation to its finite normalization and impose the same rational equations and effectivity inequalities there. The vertex divisors remain rational Cartier divisors on $X$ because they were constructed in bases from $X$. They are big on the normalization, hence big on $X$ by bigness under finite normalization. This proves the same conclusion. Effectivity is used in the usual effective Cartier sense so that pullback is effective; arbitrary cycles on a nonnormal variety cannot be substituted without defining a compatible divisor theory.