We study quotients of quasi-affine schemes by unipotent groups over fields of characteristic 0. To do this, we introduce a notion of stability which allows us to characterize exactly when a principal bundle quotient exists and, together with a cohomological vanishing criterion, to characterize whether or not the resulting quasi-affine quotient scheme is affine. We completely analyze the case of G_a-invariant hypersurfaces in a linear G_a-representation W; here the above characterizations admit simple geometric and algebraic interpretations. As an application, we produce arbitrary dimensional families of non-isomorphic smooth quasi-affine but not affine n-dimensional varieties (n \geq 6) that are contractible in the sense of A^1-homotopy theory. Indeed, existence follows without any computation; yet explicit defining equations for the varieties depend only on knowing some linear G_a- and SL_2- invariants, which, for a sufficiently large class, we provide. Similarly, we produce infinitely many non-isomorphic examples in dimensions 4 and 5. Over C, the analytic spaces underlying these varieties are non-isomorphic, non-Stein, topologically contractible and often diffeomorphic to C^n.
Let $U$ be a maximal unipotent subgroup of a connected semisimple group $G$ and $U'$ the derived group of $U$. If $X$ is an affine $G$-variety, then the algebra of $U'$-invariants, $k[X]^U'$, is finitely generated and the quotient morphism $π: X \to X//U'$ is well-defined. In this article, we study properties of such quotient morphisms, e.g. the property that all the fibres of $π$ are equidimensional. We also establish an analogue of the Hilbert-Mumford criterion for the null-cones with respect to $U'$-invariants.
The aim of this paper is to show that classical geometric invariant theory (GIT) has an effective analogue for linear actions of a non-reductive algebraic group $H$ with graded unipotent radical on a projective scheme $X$. Here the linear action of $H$ is required to extend to a semi-direct product $\hat{H} = H \rtimes \mathbb{G}_m$ with a multiplicative one-parameter group which acts on the Lie algebra of the unipotent radical $U$ of $H$ with all weights strictly positive, and which centralises a Levi subgroup $R \cong H/U$ of $H$. We show that $X$ has an $H$-invariant open subscheme (the 'ha…
For an affine spherical homogeneous space G/H of a connected semisimple algebraic group G, we consider the factorization morphism by the action on G/H of a maximal unipotent subgroup of G. We prove that this morphism is equidimensional if and only if the weight semigroup of G/H satisfies some simple condition.
Consider an algebraic action of a connected complex reductive algebraic group on a complex polarized projective variety. In this paper, we first introduce the nilpotent quotient, the quotient of the polarized projective variety by a maximal unipotent subgroup. Then, we introduce and investigate three induced actions: one by the reductive group, one by a Borel subgroup, and one by a maximal torus, respectively. Our main result is that there are natural correspondences among quotients of these three actions. In the end, we mention a possible application to the moduli spaces of parabolic bundles …
Let U be a unipotent group over the field of complex numbers C, acting on a complex algebraic variety X. Assume that there exists a surjective morphism of complex algebraic varieties f: X --> Y whose fibres are orbits of U. We show that if X and Y are smooth and all orbits of U in X have the same dimension, then the induced map on C-points X(C) --> Y(C) is a homotopy equivalence. Moreover, if U, X, Y, and f are defined over the field of real numbers R, then the induced map on R-points X(R) --> Y(R) is surjective and induces homotopy equivalences on connected components.
We study the quotient of parabolic Deligne-Lusztig varieties by a finite unipotent group U^F where U is the unipotent radical of a rational parabolic subgroup P = L U. We show that in some particular cases the cohomology of this quotient can be expressed in terms of "smaller" parabolic Deligne-Lusztig varieties associated to the Levi subgroup L.
In this paper, we establish two results concerning algebraic $(\mathbb{C},+)$-actions on $\mathbb{C}^n$. First let $ϕ$ be an algebraic $(\mathbb{C},+)$-action on $\mathbb{C}^3$. By a result of Miyanishi, its ring of invariants is isomorphic to $\mathbb{C}[t_1,t_2]$. If $f_1,f_2$ generate this ring, the quotient map of $ϕ$ is the map $F:\mathbb{C}^3\to \mathbb{C}^2$, $x\mapsto (f_1(x),f_2(x))$. By using some topological arguments, we prove that $F$ is always surjective. Second, we are interested in dominant polynomial maps $F:\mathbb{C}^n\to \mathbb{C}^{n-1}$ whose connected components of their…
Let $U$ be a graded unipotent group over the complex numbers, in the sense that it has an extension $\hat{U}$ by the multiplicative group such that the action of the multiplicative group by conjugation on the Lie algebra of $U$ has all its weights strictly positive. Given any action of $U$ on a projective variety $X$ extending to an action of $\hat{U}$ which is linear with respect to an ample line bundle on $X$, then provided that one is willing to replace the line bundle with a tensor power and to twist the linearisation of the action of $\hat{U}$ by a suitable (rational) character, and provi…
Let $X$ be a smooth contractible affine algebraic threefold with a nontrivial algebraic ${\bf C}_+$-action on it. We show that $X$ is rational and the algebraic quotient $X//{\bf C}_+$ is a smooth contractible surface $S$ which is isomorphic to ${\bf C}^2$ in the case when $X$ admits a dominant morphism from a threefold of form $C \times {\bf C}^2$. Furthermore, if the action is free then $X$ is isomorphic to $S \times {\bf C}$ and the action is induced by translation on the second factor. In particular, we have the following criterion: if a smooth contractible affine algebraic threefold $X$ w…
In this work we show that the homogeneous space of an affine algebraic group $G$ by a one-dimensional unipotent subgroup $H$ is affine if and only if the subgroup is not contained in any reductive subgroup of $G$.
We present a generalized version of classical geometric invariant theory à la Mumford where we consider an affine algebraic group $G$ acting on a specific affine algebraic variety $X$. We define the notions of linearly reductive and of unipotent action in terms of the $G$ fixed point functor in the category of $(G,\Bbbk [X])$--modules. In the case that $X=\{\star\}$ we recuperate the concept of lineraly reductive and of unipotent group. We prove in our "relative" context some of the classical results of GIT such as: existence of quotients, finite generation of invariants, Kostant--Rosenlicht's…
The wall-and-chamber structure of the dependence of the reductive GIT quotient on the choice of linearisation is well known. In this article, we first give a brief survey of recent results in non-reductive GIT, which apply when the unipotent radical is 'graded'. We then examine the dependence of these non-reductive quotients on the linearisation and an additional parameter, the choice of one-parameter subgroup grading the unipotent radical, and arrive at a picture similar to the reductive one.
We discuss algebraic vector bundles on smooth k-schemes X contractible from the standpoint of A^1-homotopy theory; when k = C, the smooth manifolds X(C) are contractible as topological spaces. The integral algebraic K-theory and integral motivic cohomology of such schemes are that of Spec k. One might hope that furthermore, and in analogy with the classification of topological vector bundles on manifolds, algebraic vector bundles on such schemes are all isomorphic to trivial bundles; this is almost certainly true when the scheme is affine. However, in the non-affine case this is false: we show…
The symplectic implosion construction of Guillemin, Jeffrey and Sjamaar associates to a Hamiltonian action of a compact group K on a symplectic manifold X its 'imploded cross section'. When X is a complex projective variety and K acts linearly on X, this construction is closely related to geometric invariant theory (GIT) for the action on X of a maximal unipotent subgroup U of the complexification G of K. The aim of this paper is to generalise symplectic implosion to give a symplectic construction for GIT-like quotients by unipotent radicals U of arbitrary parabolic subgroups P of the complex …
Recent results in geometric invariant theory (GIT) for non-reductive linear algebraic group actions allow us to stratify quotient stacks of the form [X/H], where X is a projective scheme and H is a linear algebraic group with internally graded unipotent radical acting linearly on X, in such a way that each stratum [S/H] has a geometric quotient S/H. This leads to stratifications of moduli stacks (for example, sheaves over a projective scheme) such that each stratum has a coarse moduli space.
We extend the methods of geometric invariant theory to actions of non--reductive groups in the case of homomorphisms between decomposable sheaves whose automorphism groups are non--reductive. Given a linearization of the natural action of the group $\Aut(E)\times\Aut(F)$ on Hom(E,F), a homomorphism is called stable if its orbit with respect to the unipotent radical is contained in the stable locus with respect to the natural reductive subgroup of the automorphism group. We encounter effective numerical conditions for a linearization such that the corresponding open set of semi-stable homomorph…
Algebraic actions of unipotent groups $U$ actions on affine $k-$varieties $X$ ($k$ an algebraically closed field of characteristic 0) for which the algebraic quotient $X//U$ has small dimension are considered$.$ In case $X$ is factorial, $O(X)^{\ast}=k^{\ast},$ and $X//U$ is one-dimensional, it is shown that $O(X)^{U}$=$k[f]$, and if some point in $X$ has trivial isotropy, then $X$ is $U$ equivariantly isomorphic to $U\times A^{1}(k).$ The main results are given distinct geometric and algebraic proofs. Links to the Abhyankar-Sathaye conjecture and a new equivalent formulation of the Sathaye co…
In this paper we study weight homology of singular schemes. Weight homology is an invariant of a singular scheme defined in terms of hypercoverings of resolution of singularities. Our main result is McKay principle for weight homology of quotient singularities, i.e. we describe weight homology of a quotient scheme in terms of weight homology of an equivariant scheme. Our method is to reduce the geometric McKay principle for weight homology to Kato's cohomological Hasse principle for arithmetic schemes. The McKay principle for weight homology implies McKay principle for the homotopy type of the…
We prove that the symmetric monoidal category of mixed motives generated by an abelian variety (more generally, an abelian scheme) can be described as a certain module category. More precisely, we describe it as the category of quasi-coherent complexes over a derived quotient stack constructed from a motivic algebra of the abelian variety. We then study the structure of the motivic Galois groups of their mixed motives. We prove that the motivic Galois group is decomposed into a unipotent part constructed from the motivic algebra, and the reductive quotient which is the Tannaka dual of Grothend…
A Q-homology plane is a normal complex algebraic surface having trivial rational homology. We obtain a structure theorem for Q-homology planes with smooth locus of non-general type. We show that if a Q-homology plane contains a non-quotient singularity then it is a quotient of an affine cone over a projective curve by an action of a finite group respecting the set of lines through the vertex. In particular, it is contractible, has negative Kodaira dimension and only one singular point. We describe minimal normal completions of such planes.
In this article we review the question of constructing geometric quotients of actions of linear algebraic groups on irreducible varieties over algebraically closed fields of characteristic zero, in the spirit of Mumford's geometric invariant theory (GIT). The article surveys some recent work on geometric invariant theory and quotients of varieties by linear algebraic group actions, as well as background material on linear algebraic groups, Mumford's GIT and some of the challenges that the non-reductive setting presents. The earlier work of two of the authors in the setting of unipotent group a…
Let X be a projective variety, possibly singular. A generalized Albanese variety of X was constructed by Esnault, Srinivas and Viehweg over algebraically closed base field as a universal regular quotient of the relative Chow group of 0-cycles by Levine-Weibel. In this paper, we obtain a functorial description of the Albanese of Esnault-Srinivas-Viehweg over a perfect base field, using duality theory of 1-motives with unipotent part.
We prove an analogue of the Lindemann-Weierstrass theorem (that the exponentials of Q-linearly independent algebraic numbers are algebraically independent) for commutative algebraic groups G without unipotent quotients, over function fields. We concentrate on solutions to the the differential algebraic relations satisfied by exp from LG to G.
We study linear actions of algebraic groups on smooth projective varieties X. A guiding goal for us is to understand the cohomology of "quotients" under such actions, by generalizing (from reductive to non-reductive group actions) existing methods involving Mumford's geometric invariant theory (GIT). We concentrate on actions of unipotent groups H, and define sets of stable points X^s and semistable points X^{ss}, often explicitly computable via the methods of reductive GIT, which reduce to the standard definitions due to Mumford in the case of reductive actions. We compare these with definiti…
Given a linear action of a group $G$ on a $K$-vector space $V$, we consider the invariant ring $K[V \oplus V^*]^G$, where $V^*$ is the dual space. We are particularly interested in the case where $V =\gfq^n$ and $G$ is the group $U_n$ of all upper unipotent matrices or the group $B_n$ of all upper triangular matrices in $\GL_n(\gfq)$. In fact, we determine $\gfq[V \oplus V^*]^G$ for $G = U_n$ and $G =B_n$. The result is a complete intersection for all values of $n$ and $q$. We present explicit lists of generating invariants and their relations. This makes an addition to the rather short list o…
An affine varieties with an action of a semisimple group $G$ is called "small" if every non-trivial $G$-orbit in $X$ is isomorphic to the orbit of a highest weight vector. Such a variety $X$ carries a canonical action of the multiplicative group $\mathbb{K}^*$ commuting with the $G$-action. We show that $X$ is determined by the $\mathbb{K}^*$-variety $X^U$ of fixed points under a maximal unipotent subgroups $U$ of $G$. Moreover, if $X$ is smooth, then $X$ is a $G$-vector bundle over the quotient $X// G$. If $G$ is of type $A_n$ ($n>1$), $C_n$, $E_6$, $E_7$ or $E_8$, we show that all affine $G$…
This paper continues the study of holomorphic semistable principal G-bundles over an elliptic curve. In this paper, the moduli space of all such bundles is constructed by considering deformations of a minimally unstable G-bundle. The set of all such deformations can be described as the C^* quotient of the cohomology group of a sheaf of unipotent groups, and we show that this quotient has the structure of a weighted projective space. We identify this weighted projective space with the moduli space of semistable G-bundles, giving a new proof of a theorem of Looijenga.
These are notes from talks of the authors on some explicit examples of families of Calabi-Yau threefolds which are parametrised by a Shimura variety. We briefly review the periods of Calabi-Yau threefolds and we discuss a recent result on Picard-Fuchs equations for threefolds which are hypersurfaces with many automorphisms. Next various examples of families parametrised by Shimura varieties are given. Most of these are due to J.C. Rohde. The examples with an automorphism of order three are given in some detail. We recall that such families do not have maximally unipotent monodromy and that the…
For a connected reductive group G and a finite-dimensional G-module V, we study the invariant Hilbert scheme that parameterizes closed G-stable subschemes of V affording a fixed, multiplicity-finite representation of G in their coordinate ring. We construct an action on this invariant Hilbert scheme of a maximal torus T of G, together with an open T-stable subscheme admitting a good quotient. The fibers of the quotient map classify affine G-schemes having a prescribed categorical quotient by a maximal unipotent subgroup of G. We show that V contains only finitely many multiplicity-free G-subva…
We study the Selmer variety associated to a canonical quotient of the $\Q_p$-pro-unipotent fundamental group of a smooth projective curve of genus at least two defined over $\Q$ whose Jacobian decomposes into a product of abelian varieties with complex multiplication. Elementary multi-variable Iwasawa theory is used to prove dimension bounds, which, in turn, lead to a new proof of Diophantine finiteness over $\Q$ for such curves.
We study the unipotent completion $Π^{DR}_{un}(x_0, x_1, X_K)$ of the de Rham fundamental groupoid [De] of a smooth algebraic variety over a local non-archimedean field K of characteristic 0. We show that the vector space $Π^{DR}_{un}(x_0, x_1, X_K)$ possesses a distinguished element. In the other words, given a vector bundle E on $X_K$ together with a unipotent integrable connection, we have {\sf a canonical} isomorphism $E_{x_0}\simeq E_{x_1}$ between the fibers. The latter construction is a generalization of Colmez's p-adic integration (rk E=2) and Coleman's p-adic iterated integrals ($X_K$…
Let $G$ be a reductive complex Lie group acting holomorphically on normal Stein spaces $X$ and $Y$, which are locally $G$-biholomorphic over a common categorical quotient $Q$. When is there a global $G$-biholomorphism $X\to Y$? If the actions of $G$ on $X$ and $Y$ are what we, with justification, call generic, we prove that the obstruction to solving this local-to-global problem is topological and provide sufficient conditions for it to vanish. Our main tool is the equivariant version of Grauert's Oka principle due to Heinzner and Kutzschebauch. We prove that $X$ and $Y$ are $G$-biholomorphic …
Let X be a smooth proper variety over a perfect field k of arbitrary characteristic. Let D be an effective divisor on X with multiplicity. We introduce an Albanese variety Alb(X, D) of X of modulus D as a higher dimensional analogon of the generalized Jacobian of Rosenlicht-Serre with modulus for smooth proper curves. Basing on duality of 1-motives with unipotent part (which are introduced here), we obtain explicit and functorial descriptions of these generalized Albanese varieties and their dual functors. We define a relative Chow group of zero cycles w.r.t. the modulus D and show that Alb(X,…
