Monads and moduli components for stable rank 2 bundles with odd determinant on the projective space

Abstract: We propose a three-step program for the classification of stable rank 2 bundles on the projective space $\mathbb{P}^3$ inspired by an article by Hartshorne and Rao. While this classification program has been successfully completed for stable rank 2 bundles with even determinant and $c_2\le5$, much less is known for bundles with odd determinant. After revising the known facts about these objects, we list all possible spectra and minimal monads for stable rank 2 bundles with odd determinant and $c_2\le8$. We provide a full classification of all bundles with positive minimal monads, provide a negative answer to a question raised by Hartshorne and Rao, and describe new irreducible components of the moduli spaces of stable rank 2 bundles with odd determinant and $c_2=6,8$.