New material added on the no-name lemma in Section 4 and on Hilbert's 13th problem in Section 9. A mistake in the proof of Proposition 2.3 is corrected
Let G be a linear algebraic group defined over a field k. We prove that, under mild assumptions on k and G, there exists a finite k-subgroup S of G such that the natural map H^1(K, S) -> H^1(K, G) is surjective for every field extension K/k. We give several applications of this result in the case where k an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero and K/k is finitely generated. In particular, we prove that for every z in H^1(K, G) there exists an abelian field extension L/K such that z_L \in H^1(L, G) is represented by a G-torsor over a projective variety. From this we deduce that z_L has trivial point obstruction. We also show that a (strong) variant of the algebraic form of Hilbert's 13th problem implies that the maximal abelian extension of K has cohomological dimension =< 1. The last assertion, if true, would prove conjectures of Bogomolov and Koenigsmann, answer a question of Tits and establish an important case of Serre's Conjecture II for the group E_8.
Let A be an abelian variety over a local field K of mixed characteristic and with algebraically closed residue field. We provide a geometric construction (via the relative Picard functor) of the Shafarevich duality between the group of isomorphism classes of torsors under A and the "fundamental group" of the Néron model of the dual abelian variety A'. An analogous construction works over fields of positive characteristic p providing a duality on the prime-to-p parts.
We study the homogeneous irreducible Severi-Brauer varieties over an Abelian variety $A$. Such objects were classified by Brion, \cite{Bri}. Here we interpret that result within the context of cubical structures and biextensions for certain $\G_m$-torsors over finite subgroups of $A$. Our results can be seen as an instance of the theory developed by Breen, \cite{Breen:1983}, and Moret-Bailly, \cite{Moret-Bailly}.
In the first part of our paper, we show that there exist non-isomorphic derived equivalent genus $1$ curves, and correspondingly there exist non-isomorphic moduli spaces of stable vector bundles on genus $1$ curves in general. Neither occurs over an algebraically closed field. We give necessary and sufficient conditions for two genus $1$ curves to be derived equivalent, and we go on to study when two principal homogeneous spaces for an abelian variety have equivalent derived categories. We apply our results to study twisted derived equivalences of the form $D^b(J,α)\simeq D^b(J,β)$, when $J$ i…
We give an explicit description of the category of central extensions of a group scheme by a sheaf of Abelian groups. Based on this, we describe a framework for computing with central extensions of finite commutative group schemes, torsors under such group schemes and groups of isomorphism classes of these objects.
In this note we investigate the problem of existence of a torsor structure for Galois covers of (formal) schemes over a complete discrete valuation ring of residue characteristic $p>0$ in the case of abelian Galois groups of type (p,p,...,p).
Let $k$ be a field of characteristic 0 and $G$ a linear algebraic $k$-group. When $G$ is abelian, it is well known that torsors under $G_{X}$ over a $k$-scheme $π:X\to \textup{Spec} k$ provide an obstruction to the existence of $k$-rational points on $X$, since Leray spectral sequence gives rise (when $X$ is 'nice', e.g. $X$ smooth and proper) to an exact sequence of groups (5-term exact sequence associated). This sequence gives an obstruction for a $\bar{G}_{X}$-torsor $\bar{P}\to\bar{X}$ with field of moduli $k$ to be defined over $k$, i.e. to be obtained by extension of scalars to the algeb…
We study torsors over 2-groups and their morphisms. In particular, we study the first non-abelian cohomology group with values in a 2-group. Butterfly diagrams encode morphisms of 2-groups and we employ them to examine the functorial behavior of non-abelian cohomology under change of coefficients. We re-interpret the first non-abelian cohomology with coefficients in a 2-group in terms of gerbes bound by a crossed module. Our main result is to provide a geometric version of the change of coefficients map by lifting a gerbe along the "fraction" (weak morphism) determined by a butterfly. As a pra…
The Poincaré torsor of a Shimura family of abelian varieties can be viewed both as a family of semi-abelian varieties and as a mixed Shimura variety. We show that the special subvarieties of the latter cannot all be described in terms of the group subschemes of the former. This provides a counter-example to the relative Manin-Mumford conjecture, but also some evidence in favour of Pink's conjecture on unlikely intersections in mixed Shimura varieties. The main part of the article concerns mixed Hodge structures and the uniformization of the Poincaré torsor, but other, more geometric, approache…
Given a holomorphic line bundle $L$ on a compact complex torus $A$, there are two naturally associated holomorphic $Ω_A$--torsors over $A$: one is constructed from the Atiyah exact sequence for $L$, and the other is constructed using the line bundle $(p^*_1 L^*)\otimes (α^*L)$, where $α$ is the addition map on $A\times A$, and $p_1$ is the projection of $A\times A$ to the first factor. In \cite{BHR}, it was shown that these two torsors are isomorphic. The aim here is to produce a canonical isomorphism between them through an explicit construction.
Let S be a site. First we define the 3-category of torsors under a Picard S-2-stack and we compute its homotopy groups. Using calculus of fractions we define also a pure algebraic analogue of the 3-category of torsors under a Picard S-2-stack. Then we describe extensions of Picard S-2-stacks as torsors endowed with a group law on the fibers. As a consequence of such a description, we show that any Picard S-2-stack admits a canonical free partial left resolution that we compute explicitly. Moreover we get an explicit right resolution of the 3-category of extensions of Picard S-2-stacks in terms…
Let $K$ be a local field with algebraically closed residue field and $X_K$ a torsor under an elliptic curve $J_K$ over $K$. Let $X$ be a proper minimal regular model of $X_K$ over the ring of integers of $K$ and $J$ the identity component of the Néron model of $J_K$. We study the canonical morphism $q\colon \mathrm{Pic}^{0}_{X/S}\to J$ which extends the biduality isomorphism on generic fibres. We show that $q$ is pro-algebraic in nature with a construction that recalls Serre's work on local class field theory. Furthermore we interpret our results in relation to Shafarevich's duality theory for…
Let $W$ be a finite group and $T$ be an abelian group. Consider an extension $0 \ra T \ra N \ra W \ra 0$. For a smooth projective curve $X$, we give a precise description of the fiber of the quotient by $T$ map $q_T: \cM_X(N) \ra \cM_X(W)$ as a torsor over an abelian variety. We also prove a result on Mumford groups.
Let $S$ be a connected Dedekind scheme and $X$ an $S$-scheme provided with a section $x$. We prove that the morphism of fundamental group schemes $π_1(X,x)^{ab}\to π_1(\mathbf{Alb}_{X/S},0_{\mathbf{Alb}_{X/S}})$ induced by the canonical morphism from $X$ to its Albanese scheme $\mathbf{Alb}_{X/S}$ (when the latter exists) fits in an exact sequence of group schemes $0\to (\mathbf{NS}^τ_{X/S})^{\vee}\to π_1(X,x)^{ab}\to π_1(\mathbf{Alb}_{X/S},0_{\mathbf{Alb}_{X/S}}) \to 0$ where the kernel is a finite and flat $S$-group scheme. Furthermore we prove that any finite and commutative quotient pointe…
We obtain analogues of classical results on automorphism groups of holomorphic fiber bundles, in the setting of group schemes. Also, we establish a lifting property of the connected automorphism group, for torsors under abelian varieties. These results will be applied to the study of homogeneous bundles over abelian varieties.
Let S be an algebraic space, A an S-abelian algebraic space, L an S-fiberwise numerically trivial invertible module on A, and L* the sheaf of regular sections of L considered as a G_m-torsor on A. We classify the S-minimal models of L* into two types.
In this article, we study the obstructions to the local-global principle for homogeneous spaces with connected or abelian stabilizers over finite extensions of the field $\mathbb{C}((x,y))$ of Laurent series in two variables over the complex numbers and over function fields of curves over $\mathbb{C}((t))$. We give examples that prove that the usual Brauer-Manin obstruction is not enough to explain the failure of the local-global principle, and we then construct a variant of this obstruction using torsors under quasi-trivial tori which turns out to work. In the end of the article, we compare t…
We define a sheaf of abelian groups whose cohomology is represented by the cotangent complex. We show how obstructions to some standard deformation problems arise as the classes of torsors under and gerbes banded by this sheaf.
We describe spectral data for singular fibres of the $\mathsf{SL}(2,\mathbb{C})$-Hitchin fibration with irreducible and reduced spectral curve. Using Hecke transformations we give a stratification of these singular spaces by fibre bundles over Prym varieties. By analysing the parameter spaces of Hecke transformations this describes the singular Hitchin fibres as compactifications of abelian group bundles over abelian torsors. We prove that a large class of singular fibres are themselves fibre bundles over Prym varieties. As applications we study irreducible components of singular Hitchin fibre…
We show that there exist non-trivial families of algebraic varieties for which all the fibers above rational points (or even above points of odd degree) are torsors of abelian varieties representing nonzero elements of their Shafarevich-Tate groups.
Let X be a separated scheme of finite type over an algebraically closed field k and let m be a natural number. By an explicit geometric construction using torsors we construct a pairing between the first mod m Suslin homology and the first mod m tame etale cohomology of X. We show that the induced homomorphism from the mod m Suslin homology to the abelianized tame fundamental group of X mod m is surjective. It is an isomorphism of finite abelian groups if (m, char(k)) = 1, and for general m if resolution of singularities holds over k.
Let $X$ be a proper, smooth, and geometrically connected curve of genus $g(X)\ge 1$ over a $p$-adic local field. We prove that there exists an effectively computable open affine subscheme $U\subset X$ with the property that $period (X)=1$, and $index (X)$ equals $1$ or $2$ (resp. $period(X)=index (X)=1$, assuming $period (X)=index (X)$), if (resp. if and only if) the exact sequence of the geometrically abelian fundamental group of $U$ splits. We compute the torsor of splittings of the exact sequence of the geometrically abelian absolute Galois group associated to $X$, and give a new characteri…
Given a flat, finite group scheme G finitely presented over a base scheme we introduce the notion of ramified Galois cover of group G (or simply G-cover), which generalizes the notion of G-torsor. We study the stack of G-covers, denoted with G-Cov, mainly in the abelian case, precisely when G is a finite diagonalizable group scheme over Z. In this case we prove that G-Cov is connected, but it is irreducible or smooth only in few finitely many cases. On the other hand, it contains a 'special' irreducible component Z_G, which is the closure of BG and this reflects the deep connection we establis…
We study the problem of describing local components of height functions on abelian varieties over characteristic $0$ local fields as functions on spaces of torsors under various realisations of a $2$-step unipotent motivic fundamental group naturally associated to the defining line bundle. To this end, we present three main theorems giving such a description in terms of the $\mathbb Q_\ell$- and $\mathbb Q_p$-pro-unipotent étale realisations when the base field is $p$-adic, and in terms of the $\mathbb R$-pro-unipotent Betti--de Rham realisation when the base field is archimedean. In the cours…
In this article, we study obstructions to weak approximation for connected linear groups and homogeneous spaces with connected or abelian stabilizers over finite extensions of $\mathbb C((x,y))$ or function fields of curves over $\mathbb C((t))$. We show that for connected linear groups, the usual Brauer-Manin obstruction works as in the case of tori. However, this Brauer-Manin obstruction is not enough for homogeneous spaces, as shown by the examples we give. We then construct an obstruction using torsors under quasi-trivial tori that explains the failure of weak-approximation.
The so-called class-invariant homomorphism $ψ$ measures the Galois module structure of torsors--under a finite flat group scheme $G$--which lie in the image of a coboundary map associated to an isogeny between (Néron models of) abelian varieties with kernel $G$. When the varieties are elliptic curves with semi-stable reduction and the order of $G$ is coprime to 6, is is known that the homomorphism $ψ$ vanishes on torsion points. In this paper, using Weil restrictions of elliptic curves, we give the construction, for any prime number $p>2$, of an abelian variety $A$ of dimension $p$ endowed wit…
Building upon our arithmetic duality theorems for 1-motives, we prove that the Manin obstruction related to a finite subquotient $\Be (X)$ of the Brauer group is the only obstruction to the Hasse principle for rational points on torsors under semiabelian varieties over a number field, assuming the finiteness of the Tate-Shaferevich group of the abelian quotient. This theorem answers a question by Skorobogatov in the semiabelian case and is a key ingredient of recent work on the elementary obstruction for homogeneous spaces over number fields. We also establish a Cassels-Tate type dual exact se…
We discuss various results and questions around the Grothendieck period conjecture, which is a counterpart, concerning the de Rham-Betti realization of algebraic varieties over number fields, of the classical conjectures of Hodge and Tate. These results give new evidence towards the conjectures of Grothendieck and Kontsevich-Zagier concerning transcendence properties of the torsors of periods of varieties over number fields. We notably establish that the Grothendieck period conjecture holds in degree 1 for products of curves, of abelian varieties, and of K3 surfaces, and that it holds in degre…
Let X be a smooth variety over a number field k embedded as a degree d subvariety of $\mathbb{P}^n$ and suppose that X is a counterexample to the Hasse principle explained by the Brauer-Manin obstruction. We consider the question of whether the obstruction is given by the d-primary subgroup of the Brauer group, which would have both theoretic and algorithmic implications. We prove that this question has a positive answer in the case of torsors under abelian varieties, Kummer surfaces and (conditional on finiteness of Tate-Shafarevich groups) bielliptic surfaces. For Kummer varieties we show th…
The geometry of elliptic fibrations translates to the physics of gauge theories in F-theory. We systematically develop the dictionary between arithmetic structures on elliptic curves as well as desingularized elliptic fibrations and symmetries of gauge theories on a circle. We show that the Mordell-Weil group law matches integral large gauge transformations around the circle in Abelian gauge theories and explain the significance of Mordell-Weil torsion in this context. We also use Higgs transitions and circle large gauge transformations to introduce a group law for genus-one fibrations with mu…
We define a motivic conductor for any presheaf with transfers $F$ using the categorical framework developed for the theory of motives with modulus by Kahn-Miyazaki-Saito-Yamazaki. If $F$ is a reciprocity sheaf this conductor yields an increasing and exhaustive filtration on $F(L)$, where $L$ is any henselian discrete valuation field of geometric type over the perfect ground field. We show if $F$ is a smooth group scheme, then the motivic conductor extends the Rosenlicht-Serre conductor; if $F$ assigns to $X$ the group of finite characters on the abelianized étale fundamental group of $X$, then…
Given a finite, flat and finitely presented group scheme $G$ over some base $S$, we introduce the notion of ramified $G$-covers and study the moduli stack $G$-Cov they form. The thesis is divided in three parts. The first one concerns the case when $G$ is a diagonalizable group scheme and it essentially coincides with arxiv:1106.2347. In the second part I deal with the general case. Assuming that the base S is affine and given an $S$-scheme $T$, I interpret $G$-covers of $T$ as particolar (lax) monoidal functors from the category of finite, $G$-equivariant locally free sheaves over $S$ to the …
