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47 votes
3 answers
5k views

"Cute" applications of the étale fundamental group

When I was an undergrad student, the first application that was given to me of the construction of the fundamental group was the non-retraction lemma : there is no continuous map from the disk to the ...
Libli's user avatar
  • 7,320
36 votes
3 answers
3k views

Tannaka formalism and the étale fundamental group

For quite a while, I have been wondering if there is a general principle/theory that has both Tannaka fundamental groups and étale fundamental groups as a special case. To elaborate: The theory of ...
Lars's user avatar
  • 4,450
32 votes
3 answers
4k views

Fundamental groups of topoi

Just yesterday I heard of the notion of a fundamental group of a topos, so I looked it up on the nLab, where the following nice definition is given: If $T$ is a Grothendieck topos arising as category ...
Lars's user avatar
  • 4,450
28 votes
2 answers
2k views

Does the etale fundamental group of the projective line minus a finite number of points over a finite field depend on the points?

Clearly the etale fundamental group of $\mathbb{P}^1_{\mathbb{C}} \setminus \{a_1,...,a_r\}$ doesn't depend on the $a_i$'s, because it is the profinite completion of the topological fundamental group. ...
Makhalan Duff's user avatar
27 votes
1 answer
1k views

Nonabelian topological fundamental group of a conjugate variety

Let $X$ be a pointed algebraic variety over the field of complex numbers $\mathbb{C}$. Let $\pi_1^{\rm top}(X)$ and $\pi_1^{\mathrm{\acute{e}t}}(X)$ denote the topological and the étale fundamental ...
Mikhail Borovoi's user avatar
25 votes
2 answers
2k views

Profinite groups as étale fundamental groups

Does every profinite group arise as the étale fundamental group of a connected scheme? Equivalently, does every Galois category arise as the category of finite étale covers of a connected scheme? ...
Martin Brandenburg's user avatar
23 votes
5 answers
7k views

Grothendieck's Galois Theory today

I have recently become aware of, and started to study in my free time (abundant in these summer months) Grothendieck's Galois Theory (GGT), as formulated in SGA 1 and later by Grothendieck's ...
lambdafunctor's user avatar
20 votes
2 answers
2k views

Unipotency in realisations of the motivic fundamental group

Deligne, in his 1987 paper on the fundamental group of $\mathbb{P}^1 \setminus \{0,1,\infty\}$ (in "Galois Groups over $\mathbb{Q}$"), defines a system of realisations for a motivic fundamental group. ...
Frank's user avatar
  • 2,976
20 votes
0 answers
2k views

Etale fundamental group of a curve in characteristic $p$

Let $C$ be a connected, smooth, proper curve of genus $g$ over an algebraically closed field $k$ of characteristic $p>0$. Let $\pi_1(C)$ be the etale fundamental group of $C$ - I only care about ...
jacob's user avatar
  • 2,834
19 votes
2 answers
3k views

What are the different theories that the motivic fundamental group attempts to unify?

I must preface by confessing complete ignorance in the subject. I've read introductory texts about the theory of motives, but I am certainly no expert. In http://www.math.ias.edu/files/deligne/...
James D. Taylor's user avatar
19 votes
2 answers
1k views

Can one compute the fundamental group of a complex variety? Other topological invariants? [duplicate]

Given a system of polynomial equations with rational coefficients, is there an algorithm to compute the geometric fundamental group of the variety defined by these equations? I'm interested in both ...
David Corwin's user avatar
  • 15.4k
16 votes
0 answers
591 views

Are there any examples of hyperbolic curves over finite fields such that the action of frobenius on its prime-to-$p$ fundamental group is known?

Let $X$ smooth curve over a finite field $\mathbb{F}_q$ of type $(g,n)$ - that is, $X$ is an open subscheme of its genus $g$ compactification obtained by removing $n$ points. Any such curve ...
Will Chen's user avatar
  • 10.7k
14 votes
3 answers
1k views

Can we define homotopy groups using Tannakian categories

This is another vague question. Hope you guys don't mind. Let $T$ be a Tannakian category. For any fibre functor $F$ on $T$ we define the fundamental group of $T$ at $F$, denoted by $\pi_1(T,F)$, to ...
Harry's user avatar
  • 1,213
14 votes
2 answers
951 views

Relationship between étale and topological $K(\pi,1)$s

I was trying to find a proof, or a counterexample to the claim that if $X/\mathbb{C}$ is connected smooth projective, then $X$ is a $K(\pi^{\mathrm{\acute{e}t}},1)$ if and only if $X^\mathrm{an}$ is a ...
Alex Youcis's user avatar
14 votes
4 answers
1k views

Etale coverings of certain open subschemes in Spec O_K

Let $U$ be an open subscheme of $\textrm{Spec} \ \mathbf{Z}$. The complement of $U$ is a divisor $D$ of $\textrm{Spec} \ \mathbf{Z}$. Q. Can we classify the etale coverings of $U$ of a given degree? ...
Ariyan Javanpeykar's user avatar
12 votes
1 answer
2k views

What is the wild fundamental group?

In the abstract of Singularités irrégulières Correspondance et documents Pierre Deligne, Bernard Malgrange, Jean-Pierre Ramis Documents mathématiques 5 (2007), xii+188 pages (link) there is a ...
David Roberts's user avatar
  • 35.5k
11 votes
3 answers
1k views

Are "large enough" finite etale covers arithmetic?

Let $X$ be a variety over a number field $K$. Then it is known that for any topological covering $X' \to X(\mathbb{C})$, the topological space $X'$ can be given the structure of a $\overline{K}$-...
David Urbanik's user avatar
11 votes
2 answers
2k views

locally constant constructible sheaves and finite etale coverings

Maybe it is well known to experts or maybe it is just a stupid idea, but I will ask any way. We know that if $X$ is a topological space, then there is an equivalence of categories between the ...
Lei's user avatar
  • 314
11 votes
1 answer
386 views

Is there a presentation to the kernel of the prime-to-$p$ fundamental short exact sequence of curves over finite fields?

Let $X$ be $\mathbb{P}^1_{\mathbb{F}_q}\smallsetminus \{a_1,...,a_r\}$, where $a_1,...,a_r$ are some $\mathbb{F}_q$-rational points. Let $\bar X :=X_{\bar{\mathbb{F}}_q}$. There is a short exact ...
Andrew NC's user avatar
  • 2,081
11 votes
2 answers
1k views

Finite vector bundles over punctured affine spaces

Let $X$ be a connected scheme. Recall that a vector bundle $V$ on $X$ is called finite if there are two different polynomials $f,g \in \mathbb N[T]$ such that $f(V) = g(V)$ inside the semiring of ...
Hailong Dao's user avatar
  • 30.6k
11 votes
1 answer
415 views

Why can we take the colimit over the category of elements?

I'm trying to understand J. P. Murre's Tata notes on Grothendieck's theory of the fundamental group. For a Galois category $\mathcal C$ (which I'm taking to be locally small) with fundamental functor $...
themathandlanguagetutor's user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
761 views

fundamental groups of smooth projective variety.

Is there a discrete group G which is the fundamental group of a compact Kahler manifold but which is not the fundamental group of any smooth projective complex algebraic variety? It is known that ...
SGP's user avatar
  • 3,867
10 votes
0 answers
239 views

On tangent space to the fundamental group scheme

Let $X$ be a smooth, projective complex curve of genus at least $2$. If I understand correctly, after choosing a base point, one can associate to $X$, a fundamental group scheme $\pi$. I am trying to ...
Ron's user avatar
  • 2,126
10 votes
0 answers
430 views

Discretifications of the fundamental group functor

Grothendieck calls a "discretification" of a profinite group $\widehat G$, a discrete group $G$ whose profinite completion is isomorphic to $\widehat G$. Does Grothendieck also define a notion of ...
o a's user avatar
  • 468
9 votes
2 answers
2k views

Reference request on birational invariance of Chow group of zero cycles of degree zero

Let $CH_0(X)^0$ denote the group of zero cycles of degree zero modulo rational equivalence. I am looking for a reference for the following fact: If $X$ and $Y$ are smooth and projective varieties ...
Joachim's user avatar
  • 479
9 votes
1 answer
1k views

Galois theory, topos vs fundamental groups

Classical Galois theory states that the etale topos X of a field k is equivalent to the classifying topos of the absolute Galois group of k. (Marc Hoyois, Higher Galois theory, $\S$3, arXiv:1506....
Galoisianis's user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
2k views

Under what conditions is the induced map of etale fundamental groups surjective?

Let $f:X \to Y$ be a morphism of schemes. I am interested in sufficient conditions on $f$ which would ensure that the induced map $\pi_1^{et}(X) \to \pi_1^{et}(Y)$ of etale fundamental groups is ...
Yellow Pig's user avatar
  • 2,974
9 votes
1 answer
501 views

Mapping class group and representation of fundamental group of Riemann surfaces

Let $S$ be a Riemann surface with genus $g>0$. Let $M$ be the mapping class group of $S$. $Hom(\pi_1(S),Gl(n, \mathbb{C}))$ is the representation space of fundamental group of $S$ Question: Is ...
Feng Hao's user avatar
  • 1,081
9 votes
1 answer
627 views

Do all varieties have only finitely many etale covers of fixed degree

I've been wondering about the following "finiteness statement" concerning etale covers for a while. Let $K$ be a field of characteristic zero, not necessarily algebraically closed. A variety over $K$ ...
Theaux G.'s user avatar
  • 123
9 votes
2 answers
2k views

Functoriality of fundamental group via deck transformations

Problem I'm trying to understand this with a view towards the etale fundamental group where we can't talk about loops. What I'm missing is how the fundamental group functor should work on morphisms, ...
Makhalan Duff's user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
760 views

Nodal curve in a smooth variety with injective map on fundamental groups

Let $C$ be the nodal curve obtained by gluing together the points $0$ and $1$ of $\mathbb{A}^1_{\mathbb{C}}$. The topological fundamental group of $C$ is isomorphic to $\mathbb{Z}$. One can find an ...
Marco D'Addezio's user avatar
8 votes
3 answers
943 views

Smooth projective varieties with infinite abelian fundamental group and finite $\pi_2$

Let $X$ be a smooth projective complex algebraic variety of general type. Suppose that the (topological) fundamental group of $X$ is an infinite abelian group and that $\pi_2(X^{an})$ is finite. What ...
Uiterloo's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
813 views

Inverse galois problem and étale homotopy

Is there any relation between étale homotopy theory (Grothendieck-Galois theory) and the inverse Galois problem?...I mean...in classical homotopy theory, every finite group $G$ realizes as a "Galois ...
user avatar
8 votes
2 answers
721 views

Galois categories for topological spaces?

Can the theory of Galois categories (as developed in SGA1) be modified to produce the usual fundamental group of a topological space (maybe assumed to be path connected and locally path connected)? ...
jlk's user avatar
  • 3,284
8 votes
1 answer
308 views

Do complex varieties have a dense open subset with residually finite fundamental group?

Let $S$ be a smooth connected variety over the complex numbers. The fundamental group might not be residually finite (i.e., the homomorphism $\pi_1(S(\mathbb C)) \to \pi_1^{\mathrm{et}}(S)$ might not ...
Randy's user avatar
  • 113
8 votes
1 answer
403 views

Is $H_{et}^1(X,F) = H^1(\pi_1^{et}(X), F(\bar{k}))$ true?

Let $X$ be a smooth geometrically connected scheme over a field $k$ of characteristic 0 (but not necessarily algebraically closed, I can take it to be a number field). Let $F$ be a finite algebraic ...
user108289's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
255 views

Can "fake rational surfaces" be simply-connected?

I say that a smooth projective complex algebraic surface $X$ is a "fake rational surface" if its Hodge diamond looks like: and $X$ is of general type. It is well-known that fake projective ...
Ben C's user avatar
  • 3,730
8 votes
1 answer
573 views

Do elements of the fundamental group give rise to isometries

Let $X$ be a complex algebraic variety, and let $\tilde X\to X$ be its universal cover. Suppose that there exists a Kahler-Einstein metric on $\tilde X$. Note that $\pi_1(X) \subset Aut(\tilde X)$. ...
Leertje's user avatar
  • 103
8 votes
2 answers
981 views

Covers of the projective line over Z and arithmetic Grauert-Remmert

This question is the two-dimensional analogue of Etale coverings of certain open subschemes in Spec O_K There I asked if one could characterize in a way certain covers of $\textrm{Spec} \ O_K$. As ...
Ariyan Javanpeykar's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
339 views

The direct product of the geometric fundamental group and the absolute Galois group

Given a geometrically connected variety $X$ over $\mathbb{Q}$ we have a short exact sequence $$ 1\to \pi_1(X_{\overline{\mathbb{Q}}})\to \pi_1(X)\to Gal(\overline{\mathbb{Q}}/\mathbb{Q})\to 1. $$ A ...
user avatar
8 votes
0 answers
294 views

Relationships among constructions of fundamental group for schemes

There seem to be several constructions of fundamental group for schemes and stacks: by Grothendieck, Deligne, Nori, Noohi, Esnault-Hai, Vakil-Wickelgren, perhaps others as well. I am trying to ...
Galois groupie's user avatar
8 votes
0 answers
373 views

$p$-adic representations of the fundamental group of a smooth proper curve over a finite field

This question is very general. Let $C$ be a smooth and proper curve over a finite field ${\bf F}_p$. Are there any general results or conjectures on continuous non abelian representations $$ \pi_1(C)\...
Damian Rössler's user avatar
8 votes
0 answers
220 views

Does the fundamental group identify group structure on subvarieties of products of curves?

Let $C_1,\dots, C_n$ be smooth curves over $\overline{\mathbb F}_p$, not necessarily proper. Let $X$ be a subvariety of $C_1 \times \dots \times C_n$. I'm interested in the natural map: $$ \pi_1^{ab}(...
Will Sawin's user avatar
  • 149k
7 votes
4 answers
736 views

Simply connected quasi-projective varieties in positive characteristic

I am looking for examples of non-projective (quasi-projective) varieties $X$ defined over a field of positive characteristic, which have trivial étale fundamental group. It is well known that the ...
Lars's user avatar
  • 4,450
7 votes
1 answer
1k views

étale fundamental group of projective space

What is the étale fundamental group of projective space over an algebraically closed field? In char = 0 it is trivial (Lefschetz principle), as well as in dimension 1 (Riemann-Hurwitz).
user6960's user avatar
  • 227
7 votes
1 answer
362 views

Does there exist an algebraic space with large fundamental group but no finite etale covers by schemes

Does there exits a smooth proper algebraic space $X$ over $\mathbb C$ with "large" fundamental group such that no finite etale cover of $X$ is a scheme? By "large" fundamental group I mean that $X$ ...
John Koal's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
1k views

Algebraic numbers and the complex projective line minus three points

Deligne's monograph “Le Groupe Fondamental de la Droite Projective Moins Trois Points” begins by remarking that when X is the projective line over the complex numbers, minus three points: "every ...
Colin McLarty's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
325 views

Etale fundamental of a parahoric group scheme

Let $p:X\rightarrow Y$ be a double cover of curves, denote by $$SU_n:=(p_*SL_n(\mathcal O_X))^{\tilde{\sigma}}$$ i.e. the $\tilde{\sigma}-$invariant part, the action of $\tilde{\sigma}$ is given by $$\...
Z.A.Z.Z's user avatar
  • 1,891
7 votes
0 answers
330 views

Künneth formula for $\pi_1$-proper morphisms

Context: Let $X$ and $Y$ be connected qcqs schemes over an algebraically closed field $k$. Denote by $\pi_1(X)$, $\pi_1(Y)$ their étale fundamental groups (base points omitted). Grothendieck proved ...
Benedikt's user avatar
6 votes
3 answers
1k views

Motivation of the fundamental theorem of covering spaces

The fundamental theorem of covering spaces states that for a nice topological space $X$, there is an equivalence of categories between covering spaces over $X$ and left $\pi_1(X)$-sets. "...
user481980's user avatar