A topological invariant of a polynomial map $p:X\to B$ from a complex surface containing a curve $C\subset X$ to a one-dimensional base is given by a rational second homology class in the compactification of the moduli space of genus $g$ curves with $n$ labeled points $\modmgn$. Here the generic fibre of $p$ has genus $g$ and intersects $C$ in $n$ points. In this paper we give an efficient method to calculate this homology class. We apply this to any polynomial in two complex variables $p :\bc^2\to\bc$ where the $n$ points on a fibre are its points at infinity.
The Deligne-Mumford stable reduction theorem asserts that for a family of stable curves over the punctured disk, after a finite base change, the family can be completed in a unique way to a family of stable curves over the disk. In this survey we discuss stable reduction theorems in a number of different contexts. This includes a review of recent results on abelian varieties, canonically polarized varieties, and singularities. We also consider the semi-stable reduction theorem and results concerning simultaneous stable reduction.
In this paper, we define syntomic complex for modulus pair (X,D), where X is regular semi-stable family and D is an effective Cartier divisor on X. We compute its cohomology sheaves.
R. Coleman and K. McMurdy compute the stable reduction of $X_0(p^3).$ On the basis of their ideas, we compute the stable reduction of $X_0(p^4).$ As a result, in the stable reduction of $X_0(p^4)$, we find irreducible components, defined by $a^p-a=t^{p+1}$. These components are called Deligne-Lusztig curve for ${\rm SL}_2(\mathbb{F}_p).$ We also compute the intersection multiplicity datum in the stable reduction of $X_0(p^4)$.
We answer negatively an open problem of Illusie on the DR-decomposability of the log de Rham complex of the special fiber of a semi-stable reduction over the Witt ring. We also show that $E_1$ degeneration of the Hodge to log de Rham spectral sequence does not imply DR-decomposability of semi-stable varieties.
The semi-simplicity of the Hodge group is proved for a simple Abelian variety with a stable reduction of odd toric (reductive) rank. If, besides, the dimension of the Abelian variety is an odd integer, then the Hodge conjecture on algebraic cycles holds for it.
We study stable reduction of curves in the case where a tamely ramified base extension is sufficient. If X is a smooth curve defined over the fraction field of a strictly henselian discrete valuation ring, there is a criterion, due to T. Saito, that describes precisely, in terms of the geometry of the minimal model with strict normal crossings of X, when a tamely ramified extension suffices in order for X to obtain stable reduction. For such curves we construct an explicit extension that realizes the stable reduction, and we furthermore show that this extension is minimal. We also obtain purel…
In this paper we study the semi-stable reduction of Galois covers of degree p above semi-stable curves over a complete discrete valuation ring of inequal characteristics (0,p). We are also able to describe the Galois action on these covers in terms of some geometric and combinatorial datas in characteristic p endowed with the action of the Galois group of the residue field.
A cheap method for constructing canonical models and complete moduli for complex projective varieties with a structure called "rational plurifibration" is given. A result about semistable reduction (whose nature is slightly different from alg-geom/9707012) is deduced. The method involves recursive application of moduli stacks of twisted stable maps (math.AG/9908167) and a systematic circumvention of any difficult MMP issues.
This note gives a survey on some results related to the stable reduction of three point covers, which were the topic of my talk at the {\em Journées Arithmetiques} 2003 in Graz.
For given natural numbers $d_1,d_2$ let $Ω_2(d_1,d_2)$ be the set off all polynomial mappings $F=(f,g):\mathbb{C}^2\to\mathbb{C}^2$ such that deg $f\le d_1$, deg $g\le d_2$. We say that the mapping $F$ is topologically stable in $Ω_2(d_1,d_2)$ if for every small deformation $F_t\in Ω_2(d_1,d_2)$ the mapping $F_t$ is topologically equivalent to the mapping $F$. The aim of this paper is to characterize the topologically stable mappings in $Ω_2(d_1,d_2)$. In particular we show how to effectively determine a member of $Ω_2(d_1,d_2)$ with generic topology.
The stable reduction theorem of Deligne and Mumford --- The moduli space of smooth projective curves of genus $g$ is a quasi-projective algebraic variety, but is not projective. To understand its geometry, it may be crucial to consider compactifications of this space. By allowing to parameterize as well curves with controlled singularities (the so called stable curves), Deligne and Mumford constructed a projective compactification. The properness of this compactification translates into the stable reduction theorem that they prove, its projectivity is a later theorem of Knudsen and Mumford. Th…
The stable reduction theorem says that a family of curves of genus $g\geq 2$ over a punctured curve can be uniquely completed (after possible base change) by inserting certain stable curves at the punctures. We give a new proof of this result for curves defined over $\mathbb{C}$ using the Kähler-Einstein metrics on the fibers to obtain the limiting stable curves at the punctures.
We compute the stable reduction of the Lubin-Tate space $X(π^2)$ in the equal characteristic case, on the basis of Coleman-McMurdy's ideas. Namely, in this paper, we actually construct a stable covering of $X(π^2).$ This paper also includes intersection multiplicity datum of the stable model of $X(π^2)$. Our method is very explicit and elementary.
We determine the stable reduction at $p$ of all three point covers of the projective line with Galois group ${\rm SL}_2(p)$. As a special case, we recover the results of Deligne and Rapoport on the reduction of the modular curves $X_0(p)$ and $X_1(p)$. Our method does not use the fact that modular curves are moduli spaces. Instead, we rely on results of Raynaud and the authors which describe the stable reduction of three point covers whose Galois group is strictly divisible by $p$.
Let C/K: F = 0 be a smooth plane quartic over a complete discrete valuation field K. In a previous paper the authors togetehr with Q. Liu give various characterizations of the reduction (i.e. non-hyperelliptic genus 3 curve, hyperelliptic genus 3 curve or bad) of the stable model of C: in terms of the existence of a special plane quartic model and in terms of the valuations of the Dixmier-Ohno invariants of C. The last one gives in particular an easy computable criterion for the reduction type. However, it does not produce a stable model, even in the case of good reduction. In this paper we gi…
For a dynamical system on n-dimensional projective space over a number field or a function field, we show that semi-stable reduction implies the minimality of the resultant. We use this to show that every such dynamical system over a number field admits a globally minimal presentation.
We study variants of the local models constructed by the second author and Zhu and consider corresponding integral models of Shimura varieties of abelian type. We determine all cases of good, resp. of semi-stable, reduction under tame ramification hypotheses.
The WDVV equations of associativity arising in twodimensional topological field theory can be represented, in the simplest nontrivial case, by a single third order equation of the Monge-Ampe`re type. By investigating its Lie point symmetries, we reduce it to various nonlinear ordinary differential equations, and we obtain several new explicit solutions.
Let $K$ be a local field of residue characteristic $p$. Let $C$ be a curve over $K$ whose minimal proper regular model has totally degenerate semi-stable reduction. Under certain hypotheses, we compute the prime-to-$p$ rational torsion subgroup on the Jacobian of $C$. We also determine divisibility of line bundles on $C$, including rationality of theta characteristics and higher spin structures. These computations utilize arithmetic on the special fiber of $C$.
In this paper we study the semi-stable reduction of $p$ and $p^2$-cyclic covers of curves in equal characteristic $p>0$. The main tool we use is the classical Artin-Schreier-Witt theory for $p^n$-cyclic covers in characteristic $p$. Although the results of this paper concern only the cases of degree $p$ and $p^2$-cyclic cover we develop the techniques and the framework in which the general cyclic case can be studied.
Let $\{f_t\}$ be a family of complex polynomial functions with line singularities. We show that if $\{f_t\}$ has a uniform stable radius (for the corresponding Milnor fibrations), then the Lê numbers of the functions $f_t$ are independent of $t$ for all small $t$. In the case of isolated singularities --- a case for which the only non-zero Lê number coincides with the Milnor number --- a similar assertion was proved by M. Oka and D. O'Shea. By combining our result with a theorem of J. Fernández de Bobadilla --- which says that families of line singularities in $\mathbb{C}^n$, $n\geq 5$, with c…
The moduli space of stable curves of Deligne and Mumford is a compactification of the moduli space of smooth curves of genus >=2 that parametrizes certain nodal curves. It is a powerful tool for the study of algebraic curves. Higher-dimensional analogues were constructed by Kollár, Shepherd-Barron and Alexeev in dimension 2, and by Viehweg in the case of smooth varieties. We will explain the recent ideas allowing for the construction of these moduli spaces in general, including the stable reduction theorem in higher dimension, which reflects their compactness. L'espace de modules des courbes s…
We prove that the Vologodsky integral of a mermorphic one-form on a curve over a $p$-adic field with semi-stable reduction restrict to Coleman integrals on the rigid subdomains reducing to the components of the smooth part of the special fiber and that on the connecting annuli the differences of these Coleman integrals form a harmonic cochain on the edges of the dual graph of the special fiber. This determines the Vologodsky integral completely. We analyze the behavior of the integral on the connecting annuli and we explain the results in the case of a Tate elliptic curve.
Let $K$ be a field of characteristic zero complete for a discrete valuation, with perfect residue field of characteristic $p>0$, and let $K^+$ be the valuation ring of $K$. We relate the log-crystalline cohomology of the special fibre of certain affine $K^+$-schemes $X=\text{Spec}(R)$ with semi-stable reduction to the Galois cohomology of the fundamental group of the geometric generic fibre $π_1(X_{\bar{K}})$ with coefficients in a Fontaine ring constructed from $R$. This is based on Faltings' theory of almost étale extensions.
This is a resubmission of preprint 9401008 , which has some TeXnical errors introduced by the "reform" procedure (designed to avoid precisely these problems!). The original can be formatted by editing out the messages "%% following line cannot be broken..." at line 1674. This problem has been corrected in the current version. The content of the paper has not been changed in any way. My aplogies for any inconvenience caused. SB
Let $E_G$ be a stable principal $G$--bundle over a compact connected Kaehler manifold, where $G$ is a connected reductive linear algebraic group defined over the complex numbers. Let $H\subset G$ be a complex reductive subgroup which is not necessarily connected, and let $E_H\subset E_G$ be a holomorphic reduction of structure group. We prove that $E_H$ is preserved by the Einstein-Hermitian connection on $E_G$. Using this we show that if $E_H$ is a minimal reductive reduction in the sense that there is no complex reductive proper subgroup of $H$ to which $E_H$ admits a holomorphic reduction o…
We use twisted sheaves to study the problem of index reduction for Brauer classes. In general terms, this problem may be phrased as follows: given a field $k$, a $k$-variety $X$, and a class $α\in \Br(k)$, compute the index of the class $α_{k(X)} \in \Br(X)$ obtained from $α$ by extension of scalars to $k(X)$. We give a general method for computing index reduction which refines classical results of Schofield and van den Bergh. When $X$ is a curve of genus 1, we use Atiyah's theorem on the structure of stable vector bundles with integral slope to show that our formula simplifies dramatically, g…
Let K be the function field of a connected regular scheme S of dimension 1, and let f : X -> Y be a finite cover of projective smooth and geometrically connected curves over K with g(X) greater or equal to 2. Suppose that f can be extended to a finite cover {\mathcal X} -> {\mathcal Y} of semi-stable models over S (it is known that this is always possible up to finite separable extension of K). We prove that there then exists a (unique) minimal such cover. This gives a canonical way to extend X -> Y to a finite cover of semi-stable models over S.
A key tool in the study of algebraic surfaces and their moduli is Brieskorn's simultaneous resolution for families of algebraic surfaces with simple (du Val or ADE) singularities. In this paper we show that a similar statement holds for families of curves with at worst simple (ADE) singularities. For a family $\mathscr X\to B$ of ADE curves, we give an explicit and natural resolution of the rational map $B\to \bar M_g$. Moreover, we discuss a lifting of this map to the moduli stack $ \bar {\mathcal M}_g$, i.e. a simultaneous semi-stable reduction for the family $\mathscr X/B$. In particular, w…
We study the minimal resultant divisor of self-maps of the projective line over a number field or a function field and its relation to the conductor. The guiding focus is the exploration of a dynamical analog to Theorem 1.1, which bounds the degree of the minimal discriminant of an elliptic surface in terms of the conductor. We study minimality and semi-stability, considering what conditions imply minimality (Theorem 4.4) and whether semi-stable models and presentations are minimal, proving results in the degree two case (Theorems 4.6, 4.7). We prove the singular reduction of a semi-stable pre…
Let $p$ be a prime and let $K$ be a finite extension of $\mathbb{Q}_p$. Let $E/K$ be an elliptic curve with additive reduction. In this paper, we study the topological group structure of the set of points of good reduction of $E(K)$. In particular, if $K/\mathbb{Q}_p$ is unramified, we show how one can read off the topological group structure from the Weierstrass coefficients defining $E$.
