Classification and degenerations of small minimal border rank tensors via modules

Abstract

We give a self-contained classification of $1_*$-generic minimal border rank tensors in $C^m \otimes C^m \otimes C^m$ for $m \leq 5$. Together with previous results, this gives a classification of all minimal border rank tensors in $C^m \otimes C^m \otimes C^m$ for $m \leq 5$: there are $37$ isomorphism classes. We fully describe possible degenerations among the tensors. We prove that there are no $1$-degenerate minimal border rank tensors in $C^m \otimes C^m \otimes C^m $ for $m \leq 4$.