We start to study the problem of classifying smooth proper varieties over a field k from the standpoint of A^1-homotopy theory. Motivated by the topological theory of surgery, we discuss the problem of classifying up to isomorphism all smooth proper varieties having a specified A^1-homotopy type. Arithmetic considerations involving the sheaf of A^1-connected components lead us to introduce several different notions of connectedness in A^1-homotopy theory. We provide concrete links between these notions, connectedness of points by chains of affine lines, and various rationality properties of algebraic varieties (e.g., rational connectedness).
We introduce the notion of an A^1-h-cobordism, an algebro-geometric analog of the topological notion of h-cobordism, and use it as a tool to produce non-trivial A^1-weak equivalences of smooth proper varieties. Also, we give explicit computations of refined A^1-homotopy invariants, such as the A^1-fundamental sheaf of groups, for some A^1-connected varieties. We observe that the A^1-fundamental sheaf of groups plays a central yet mysterious role in the structure of A^1-h-cobordisms. As a consequence of these observations, we completely solve the classification problem for rational smooth proper surfaces over an algebraically closed field: while there exist arbitrary dimensional moduli of such surfaces, there are only countably many A^1-homotopy types, each uniquely determined by the isomorphism class of its A^1-fundamental sheaf of groups.
We study the equivariant cobordism rings for the action of a torus $T$ on smooth varieties over an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero. We prove a theorem describing the rational $T$-equivariant cobordism rings of smooth projective $G$-spherical varieties with the action of a maximal torus $T$ of $G$. As an application, we obtain explicit presentations for the rational equivariant cobordism rings of smooth projective horospherical varieties of Picard number one.
We generalize the Künneth formula for Chow groups to an arbitrary OBM-homology theory satisfying descent (e.g. algebraic cobordism) when taking a product with a toric variety. As a corollary we obtain a universal coefficient theorem for the operational cohomology rings. We also give a description for the homology groups of smooth toric varieties, that allows the calculation of algebraic cobordism groups of singular toric varieties. Some computations are carried out.
We consider the cobordism ring of involutions of a field of characteristic not two, whose elements are formal differences of classes of smooth projective varieties equipped with an involution, and relations arise from equivariant K-theory characteristic numbers. We investigate in detail the structure of this ring. Concrete applications are provided concerning involutions of varieties, relating the geometry of the ambient variety to that of the fixed locus, in terms of Chern numbers. In particular, we prove an algebraic analog of Boardman's five halves theorem in topology, of which we provide s…
We prove that the $\infty$-category of $\mathrm{MGL}$-modules over any scheme is equivalent to the $\infty$-category of motivic spectra with finite syntomic transfers. Using the recognition principle for infinite $\mathbb{P}^1$-loop spaces, we deduce that very effective $\mathrm{MGL}$-modules over a perfect field are equivalent to grouplike motivic spaces with finite syntomic transfers. Along the way, we describe any motivic Thom spectrum built from virtual vector bundles of nonnegative rank in terms of the moduli stack of finite quasi-smooth derived schemes with the corresponding tangential s…
In this paper, we study the algebraic cobordism spectrum $MSL$ in the motivic stable homotopy category of Voevodsky over an arbitrary perfect field $k$. Using the motivic Adams spectral sequence, we compute the geometric part of the $η$-completion of $MSL$ (modulo the maximal subgroup that is $l$-divisble for all primes $l\neq2, char k$). As an application, we study the Krichever's elliptic genus with integral coefficients, restricted to $MSL$. We determine its image, and identify its kernel as the ideal generated by differences of $SL$-flops. This was proved by B. Totaro in the complex analyt…
We construct and study a theory of bivariant cobordism of derived schemes. Our theory provides a vast generalization of the algebraic bordism theory of characteristic 0 algebraic schemes, constructed earlier by Levine and Morel, and a (partial) non-$\Ab^1$-invariant refinement of the motivic cohomology theory $MGL$ in Morel--Voevodsky's stable motivic homotopy theory. Our main result is that bivariant cobordism satisfies the projective bundle formula. As applications of this, we construct cobordism Chern classes of vector bundles, and establish a strong connection between the cobordism cohomol…
We study the homotopy type of the simplicial set of continuous semi-algebraic simplexes of an algebraic variety defined over a real closed field, which we will call the real homotopy type. We prove an analogue of the theorem of Artin-Mazur comparing the real homotopy type with the étale homotopy type. This paper is part one of a sequence of papers on this topic.
We introduce the notion of rooftop flip, namely a small modification among normal projective varieties which is modeled by a smooth projective variety of Picard number 2 admitting two projective bundle structures. Examples include the Atiyah flop and the Mukai flop, modeled respectively by $\mathbb{P}^1\times \mathbb{P}^1$ and by $\mathbb{P}\left(T_{\mathbb{P}^2}\right)$. Using the Morelli-Wlodarczyk cobordism, we prove that any smooth projective variety of Picard number 1, endowed with a $\mathbb{C}^*$-action with only two fixed point components, induces a rooftop flip.
