Due to the exponential growth of the dimension of the space of tensors V_(1)?o o o?V_(n), any naive method of representing these tensors is intractable on a computer. In practice, we consider feasible subspaces (subvarieties) which are defined to reduce the storage cost and the computational complexity. In this thesis, we study two such types of subvarieties: the third secant variety of the product of n projective spaces, and tensor network states. For the third secant variety of the product of n projective spaces, we determine set-theoretic defining equations, and give an upper bound of the degrees of these equations. For tensor network states, we answer a question of L. Grasedyck that arose in quantum information theory, showing that the limit of tensors in a space of tensor network states need not be a tensor network state. We also give geometric descriptions of spaces of tensor networks states corresponding to trees and loops.
