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 $\mathbb{C}^m \otimes \mathbb{C}^m \otimes \mathbb{C}^m$ for $m \leq 5$. Together with previous results, this gives a classification of all minimal border rank tensors in $\mathbb{C}^m \otimes \mathbb{C}^m \otimes \mathbb{C}^m$ for $m \leq 5$: there are $107$ isomorphism classes (only $37$ up to permuting factors). We fully describe possible degenerations among the tensors. We prove that there are no $1$-degenerate minimal border rank tensors in $\mathbb{C}^m \otimes \mathbb{C}^m \otimes \mathbb{C}^m $ for $m \leq 4$.