All Questions
2,033 questions
394
votes
115
answers
110k
views
Not especially famous, long-open problems which anyone can understand
Question: I'm asking for a big list of not especially famous, long open problems that anyone can understand. Community wiki, so one problem per answer, please.
Motivation: I plan to use this list in ...
39
votes
2
answers
5k
views
Why is there a connection between enumerative geometry and nonlinear waves?
Recently I encountered in a class the fact that there is a generating function of Gromov–Witten invariants that satisfies the Korteweg–de Vries hierarchy. Let me state the fact more precisely. ...
- 1,589
71
votes
6
answers
10k
views
Kahler differentials and Ordinary Differentials
What's the relationship between Kahler differentials and ordinary differential forms?
- 1,776
49
votes
2
answers
6k
views
What interesting/nontrivial results in Algebraic geometry require the existence of universes?
Brian Conrad indicated a while ago that many of the results proven in AG using universes can be proven without them by being very careful (link). I'm wondering if there are any results in AG that ...
- 19.6k
19
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Explaining Mukai-Fourier transforms physically
A core concept in mathematics, engineering, and physics is the Fourier Transform (FT) and its many variants (Generalized Fourier Series, Green's Function, Pontryagin duality).
The basic algorithm is ...
- 10.5k
19
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Guises of the Stasheff polytopes, associahedra for the Coxeter $A_n$ root system?
Richard Stanley keeps a famous running compilation of different guises of the celebrated Catalan numbers. The number of vertices of the associahedron is one instantiation among the multitude, and the ...
- 10.5k
252
votes
37
answers
179k
views
Best algebraic geometry textbook? (other than Hartshorne)
I think (almost) everyone agrees that Hartshorne's Algebraic Geometry is still the best.
Then what might be the 2nd best?
It can be a book, preprint, online lecture note, webpage, etc.
One suggestion ...
38
votes
3
answers
8k
views
The error in Petrovski and Landis' proof of the 16th Hilbert problem
What was the main error in the proof of the second part of the 16th Hilbert problem by Petrovski and Landis?
Please see this related post and also the following post.. For Mathematical development ...
- 366
33
votes
6
answers
4k
views
Is there any holomorphic version of the tubular neighborhood theorem?
This question arised when I was studying Beauville's book 'Complex Algebraic Surfaces'.
Castelnuovo's theorem says that a smooth rational curve $E$ on an algebraic surface $S$ is an exceptional ...
- 1,083
17
votes
0
answers
402
views
Number of $F_p$-matrices ac=ca, bd = db , ad - da = cb - bc is polynomial in p ? ("Manin matrix variety" - normal ? Cohen–Macaulay ? )
Consider four $n\times n$ matrices $a,b,c,d$ over finite field $F_q$ (or $F_p$ for simplicity), such that they satisfy three equations: $ac=ca,bd=db, ad-da=cb-bc $. Thus an affine algebraic manifold ...
- 24.9k
17
votes
1
answer
6k
views
Bijection implies isomorphism for algebraic varieties
Let $f:X\to Y$ be a morphism of algebraic varieties over $\mathbb C$. Assume that
a) $f$ is bijective on $\mathbb C$-points
b) $X$ is connected
c) $Y$ is normal.
Does it imply that $f$ is an ...
- 7,037
38
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Is an affine fibration over an affine space necessarily trivial?
Let $X$ be an algebraic variety over an alg. closed field with zero char. and let $f:X\to \mathbb{A}^n$ be a smooth surjective morphism, such that all fibers (at closed points) are isomorphic to $\...
- 2,027
296
votes
8
answers
143k
views
Philosophy behind Mochizuki's work on the ABC conjecture
Mochizuki has recently announced a proof of the ABC conjecture. It is far too early to judge its correctness, but it builds on many years of work by him. Can someone briefly explain the philosophy ...
79
votes
9
answers
21k
views
Results that are widely accepted but no proof has appeared
The background of this question is the talk given by Kevin Buzzard.
I could not find the slides of that talk. The slides of another talk given by Kevin Buzzard along the same theme are available here.
...
78
votes
5
answers
14k
views
Is there a "geometric" intuition underlying the notion of normal varieties?
I first got concious of the notion of normal varieties around 3 years ago and despite the fact that by now I can manipulate with it a bit, this notion still puzzles me a lot.
One thing that strikes me ...
- 14.3k
48
votes
8
answers
8k
views
When are there enough projective sheaves on a space X?
This question is being asked on behalf of a colleague of mine.
Let $X$ be a topological space. It is well known that the abelian category of sheaves on $X$ has enough injectives: that is, every ...
- 65.4k
38
votes
8
answers
6k
views
Why do we need model categories?
I cannot give a good answer to this question. And
2) Why this definition of model category is the right way to give a philosophy of homotopy theory? Why didn't we use any other definition?
3) Has ...
- 1,060
19
votes
2
answers
8k
views
The canonical line bundle of a normal variety
I have heard that the canonical divisor can be defined on a normal variety X since the smooth locus has codimension 2. Then, I have heard as well that for ANY algebraic variety such that the canonical ...
- 2,215
87
votes
15
answers
37k
views
The importance of EGA and SGA for "students of today"
That fact that EGA and SGA have played mayor roles is uncontroversial. But they contain many volumes/chapters and going through them would take a lot of time, especially if you do not speak French.
...
54
votes
5
answers
15k
views
The unification of Mathematics via Topos Theory
In her paper The unification of Mathematics via Topos Theory, Olivia Caramello says "one can generate a huge number of new results in any mathematical field without any creative effort". Is ...
- 1,190
54
votes
7
answers
15k
views
Why are local systems and representations of the fundamental group equivalent
My question: Let X be a sufficiently 'nice' topological space. Then there is an equivalence between representations of the fundamental group of X and local systems on X, i.e. sheaves on X locally ...
- 1,197
21
votes
4
answers
5k
views
Extending vector bundles on a given open subscheme, reprise
In this question, Ariyan asks about the question of uniqueness of extensions of vector bundles when they exist.
Sasha's answer suggests that extensions of vector bundles don't always exist.
More ...
- 21k
21
votes
3
answers
7k
views
What are the current breakthroughs of Geometric Complexity Theory?
I've read from Wikipedia about Geometric Complexity Theory (GCT) which (if I understood correctly) is a program for coping with the $ P=NP $ problem using algebraic methods.
That program seems ...
19
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Explicit invariant of tensors nonvanishing on the diagonal
The group $SL_n \times SL_n \times SL_n$ acts naturally on the vector space $\mathbb C^n \otimes \mathbb C^n \otimes \mathbb C^n$ and has a rather large ring of polynomial invariants. The element $$\...
- 149k
15
votes
3
answers
3k
views
which homogeneous polynomials split into linear factors?
Let $R$ be the set of homogeneous polynomials of degree $n$ in $d$ variables over $\mathbb{C}$. When $n>2$, the set of elements of $R$ that split into a product of linear factors forms a proper ...
- 323
14
votes
1
answer
801
views
Is there a lift of the q-Vandermonde identity to some geometric (motivic) identity for Grassmannians over $F_q$?
The q-Vandermonde identity reads:
$$ \binom{m + n}{k}_{\!\!q} =\sum_{j} \binom{m}{k - j}_{\!\!q} \binom{n}{j}_{\!\!q} q^{j(m-k+j)} $$
The q-binomial coefficients:
$$ \binom{ a }{ b}_{\!\!q} $$
...
- 24.9k
11
votes
2
answers
4k
views
Conditions under which a bijective morphism of quasi-projective varieties is an isomorphism
I'm currently reading a paper by Nakajima (Quiver Varieties and Tensor Products), and I'm having a hard time understanding a very specific step in his proof of Lemma 3.2. Essentially, we have two (...
- 111
8
votes
1
answer
732
views
Compositional inversion and generating functions in algebraic geometry
The exponential generating function of the graded dimension of the cohomology ring of the moduli space of n-pointed curves of genus zero satisfying the associativity equations of physics (the WDVV ...
- 10.5k
7
votes
1
answer
1k
views
When do two non-degenerate quadratic forms give rise to isomorphic Lie algebras?
Let $V$ be a vector space over some number field $k$. (I'm fine with $\mathbb{Q}$.)
Let $\phi \colon V \to k$ be a non-degenerate quadratic form. Associated with $\phi$ is the orthogonal group $\...
- 5,504
234
votes
16
answers
57k
views
What elementary problems can you solve with schemes?
I'm a graduate student who's been learning about schemes this year from the usual sources (e.g. Hartshorne, Eisenbud-Harris, Ravi Vakil's notes). I'm looking for some examples of elementary self-...
263
votes
29
answers
89k
views
Mathematical games interesting to both you and a 5+-year-old child
Background: My daughter is 6 years old now, once I wanted to think on some math (about some Young diagrams), but she wanted to play with me...
How to make both of us to do what they want ? I guess ...
135
votes
6
answers
23k
views
what mistakes did the Italian algebraic geometers actually make?
It's "well-known" that the 19th century Italian school of algebraic geometry made great progress but also started to flounder due to lack of rigour, possibly in part due to the fact that foundations (...
- 41.4k
129
votes
15
answers
51k
views
A learning roadmap for algebraic geometry
Unfortunately this question is relatively general, and also has a lot of sub-questions and branches associated with it; however, I suspect that other students wonder about it and thus hope it may be ...
102
votes
6
answers
11k
views
Is there an analogue of curvature in algebraic geometry?
I am not an expert, but there seems to be an enormous technical difference between algebraic geometry and differential/metric geometry stemming from the fact that there is apparently no such thing as ...
- 29.2k
98
votes
10
answers
14k
views
equivalence of Grothendieck-style versus Cech-style sheaf cohomology
Given a topological space $X$, we can define the sheaf cohomology of $X$ in
I. the Grothendieck style (as the right derived functor of the global sections functor $\Gamma(X,-)$)
or
II. the Čech ...
- 1,871
93
votes
20
answers
10k
views
Short papers for undergraduate course on reading scholarly math
(I know this is perhaps only tangentially related to mathematics research, but I'm hoping it is worthy of consideration as a community wiki question.)
Today, I was reminded of the existence of this ...
75
votes
4
answers
6k
views
When is a singular point of a variety ($\mathcal{C}^\infty$-) smooth?
If $X$ is a nonsingular algebraic (or analytic) variety over $\mathbb C$ or $\mathbb R$ then it is certainly $C^\infty$ over the reals.
The converse is false for a silly reason : in the real or ...
- 47.5k
74
votes
16
answers
8k
views
Geometric / physical / probabilistic interpretations of Riemann zeta($n>1$)?
What are some physical, geometric, or probabilistic interpretations of the values of the Riemann zeta function at the positive integers greater than one?
I've found some examples:
1) In MO-Q111339 ...
71
votes
1
answer
8k
views
What is the relationship between motivic cohomology and the theory of motives?
I will begin by giving a rough sketch of my understanding of motives.
In many expositions about motives (for example, http://www.jmilne.org/math/xnotes/MOT102.pdf), the category of motives is defined ...
- 5,929
53
votes
6
answers
9k
views
Colimits of schemes
This is related to another question.
I've found many remarks that the category of schemes is not cocomplete. The category of locally ringed spaces is cocomplete, and in some special cases this turns ...
- 63.1k
52
votes
8
answers
28k
views
Roadmap for studying arithmetic geometry
I have read Hartshorne's Algebraic Geometry from chapter 1 to chapter 4, so I'd like to find some suggestions about the next step to study arithmetic geometry.
I want to know how to use scheme ...
50
votes
6
answers
6k
views
Open affine subscheme of affine scheme which is not principal
I'm not sure whether this is non-trivial or not, but do there exist simple examples of an affine scheme $X$ having an open affine subscheme $U$ which is not principal in $X$? By a principal open of $X ...
- 5,163
43
votes
1
answer
4k
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A mysterious connection between Ramanujan-type formulas for $1/\pi^k$ and hypergeometric motives
The question below is the follow-up of this question on MathOverflow.
Motivation: As is stated in the former question, those identities(formula (35)-(44)) of $1/\pi$ attributed to Ramanujan are ...
- 3,337
40
votes
8
answers
11k
views
Ubiquity of the push-pull formula
The push-pull formula appears in several different incarnations. There are, at least, the following:
1) If $f \colon X \to Y$ is a continous map, then for sheaves $\mathcal{F}$ on $X$ and $\mathcal{G}...
- 14.7k
38
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Do Grothendieck universes matter for an algebraic geometer?
I recently learned that some parts of SGA require axioms beyond ZFC. I am just a simple algebraic geometer so I am trying to understand how can this fact impact my life (you may have engaged in a ...
user138661
34
votes
4
answers
5k
views
The Jouanolou trick
In Une suite exacte de Mayer-Vietoris en K-théorie algébrique (1972) Jouanolou proves that for any quasi-projective variety $X$ there is an affine variety $Y$ which maps surjectively to $X$ with ...
- 23.5k
33
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Analogies supporting heuristic: Weyl groups = algebraic groups over field with one element?
There is well-known heuristic that Weyl groups are reductive algebraic groups over "field with one element".
Probably the best known analogy supporting that heuristic is the limit $q\to1$ ...
- 24.9k
31
votes
1
answer
3k
views
What was the error in the proof of Roos' theorem?
Background: In 1961, Roos (who, sadly, apparently passed away just last month) purported to prove [1] that in an abelian category with exact countable products (AB4${}^\ast_\omega$), limits of inverse ...
- 64k
30
votes
2
answers
10k
views
When is fiber dimension upper semi-continuous?
Suppose $f\colon X \to Y $ is a morphism of schemes. We can define a function on the topological space $Y$ by sending $y\in Y$ to the dimension of the fiber of $f$ over $y$.
When is this function ...
- 24.1k
28
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Biholomophic non-Algebraically Isomorphic Varieties
Recently, when writing a review for MathSciNet, the following question arose:
Is it true that two smooth complex varieties that are biholomorphic are algebraically isomorphic? The converse is true ...
- 8,529