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19 votes
1 answer
1k views

Is there a connected $k$-group scheme $G$ such that $G_{red}$ is not a subgroup?

I've been trying a learn a little more about group schemes by working through a set of exercises on Brian Conrad's website. Exercise 8.3 of http://math.stanford.edu/~conrad/papers/gpschemehw1.pdf ...
10 votes
6 answers
2k views

Proofs in the same vein as Ax-Grothendieck

I would like to see other examples of (ideas of) proofs and results in the same vein as the proof of the Ax-Grothendieck theorem. To explain what I mean by "in the same vein", I will quote from the ...
7 votes
0 answers
207 views

Unicritical rational functions on curves in characteristic $p$

Let $k$ be an algebraically closed field of positive characteristic $p$, and let $X_{/k}$ be a smooth projective connected curve. Let $x_0$ be a point of $X(k)$. How precisely can one describe the ...
4 votes
1 answer
918 views

Heisenberg group in characteristic two

I have seen two constructions called the Heisenberg group. If $k$ is a field of characteristic not equal to $2$ and $V$ is a $2n$-dimensional vector space over $k$ with symplectic form $\omega : V \...
4 votes
2 answers
1k views

Is the absolute Galois group of the field of Laurent series in positive characteristic finitely generated?

If $K$ is an algebraically closed field of characteristic $p>0$, then $K((t))$, the field of Laurent series with coefficients in $K$, has infinitely many Galois extensions of degree $p$. Indeed, ...
1 vote
0 answers
238 views

Classification of fibres in pencils of curves of genus two

For the case of characteristic positive, there exist some clasification of families of curves of genus two over a elliptic curve?.
5 votes
1 answer
549 views

Maximal dimension of abelian ideals of a Lie algebra and extensions of the ground field

For a Lie algebra $L$ of dimension $n$ over a field ${\mathbb F}$ we denote by $\beta(L)$ the maximal dimension of abelian ideals of $L$. In general, $\beta(L)$ is not preserved under extensions of ...
2 votes
0 answers
279 views

deRham cohomoloy of CM liftings of Jacobians

Let $k$ be field of characteristic $p>0$ and $W=W(k)$ the ring of Witt vectors of $k$. We call a smooth curve over $k$, ordinary, when the Jacobian of $J(X)$ of $X$ is an ordinary abelian variety. ...
3 votes
0 answers
742 views

Explicit description of O^{cris}_n in Fontaine/Messing

Let $k$ be a perfect field of characteristic $p$, $W(k)$ the Witt ring and $K$ its quotient field. In their article "$p$-adic periods and $p$-adic etale cohomology" Fontaine and Messing give in II.1.4 ...
2 votes
1 answer
510 views

hyperalgebras (positive characteristic)

The question is about commutator in integral forms. Let $A$ an associative algebra over a field of characteristic zero, $x\in A$ and $k\in \mathbb Z$, we denote $x^{(k)}=\frac{x^{k}}{k!}$. How to ...
8 votes
1 answer
982 views

Is there a really big ring of differential operators in characteristic p?

$k$ is a field of characteristic $p$. $k[t]$ has canonical first-order differential operator $\partial$ As an endomorphism of $k[t]$, $\partial^p=0$. First way to fix it: Use the divided power ...
14 votes
3 answers
2k views

Representations in characteristic p

Let G be a finite group and let F be an algebraically closed field. If the characteristic of F is 0, then the number of irreducible F-representations of G is given by the number of conjugacy classes ...
5 votes
2 answers
556 views

Existence of certain identities involving characteristic 2 "thetas"

Let l=2m+1 be prime. In my previous MO question, "What are the polynomial relations between these characteristic 2 thetas?", I defined a subring of Z/2[[x]] as follows: The subring, S, is generated ...
6 votes
0 answers
436 views

Do there exist weak Lefschetz-type statements that were proved for varieties over complex numbers, but were not proved in finite characteristic?

As far as I understood the situation (reading section 3.5B of Lazarsfeld's "Positivity in algebraic geometry" and also some of the references), some of weak Lefschetz-type statements known rely on '...
5 votes
1 answer
1k views

Minimal Model Program for surfaces over algebraically closed fields of characteristic p

Let $k$ be an algebraically closed field of characteristic $p>0$. I have been trying to find out unsuccessfully if there is a mmp for algebraic surfaces over $k$. I know minimal surfaces are ...
8 votes
3 answers
570 views

Variations on a theme of O'Bryant, Cooper and Eichhorn concerning power series over $\mathbb Z/2\mathbb Z$

Define 2 power series over the field $\mathbb Z/2\mathbb Z$ by $f=1+x+x^3+x^6+\dots$, the exponents being the triangular numbers, and $g=1+x+x^4+x^9+\dots$, the exponents being the squares. Write $f/g$...
6 votes
2 answers
945 views

Notation/name for "Artin-Schreier roots"?

If x is an element of a field K and n is a positive integer, we have both a symbol and a name for a root of the polynomial t^n - x = 0: we denote it by x^{1/n} and call it an nth root of x. Of course ...
2 votes
0 answers
464 views

understanding Milne's article "Duality in the flat cohomology of a surface"

I have trouble understanding a point of Milne's article "Duality in the flat cohomology of a surface" http://jmilne.org/math/articles/1976a.pdf see the "Alternatively" on p. 177, paragraph before ...
3 votes
1 answer
805 views

Finite connected groups over a perfect field of characteristic p

In 14.4 of "Introduction to Affine Group Schemes" it is proved (!) that if $A$ represents a finite connected group scheme over a perfect field $k$ of characteristic $p$ then $A$ has the form $k[X_{1}, ...
3 votes
0 answers
308 views

Invertible Hasse-Witt for non-ordinary curves

Assume that $S$ is a smooth curve of over a field $k$ of characteristic $p>0$ and $f\colon X\to S$ is a relative curve over $S$ (i.e., the fibers are curves). It is well-known that when all the ...
12 votes
4 answers
2k views

Finite subgroups of $PGL_2(K)$ in characteristic $p$

Let $K$ be a field of characteristic $p$. What are the finite subgroups of $PGL_2(K)$ whose orders are divisible by $p$? And if $G$ and $H$ are two such subgroups that are isomorphic, can one say when ...
5 votes
0 answers
454 views

If $p=0$ and $df=0$, is $f$ a $p$th power?

This question is a follow-up to When does the relative differential $df=0$ imply that $f$ comes from the base?. There it was asked, for an $A$-algebra $B$, under what conditions does $df=0$ (in the ...
7 votes
1 answer
5k views

Chevalley's Theorem on Constructible Sets

I'm having a hard time understanding the theorem in the title, more specifically the proof of the related fact that the image of a dominant morphism contains a dense open set of it's closure. (My ...
0 votes
2 answers
386 views

Zariski closures of one parameter additive maps in positive characteristic

Suppose we are in characteristic $p$, and that the field, $K$, that we are working over is imperfect. We have a map $\Theta: K \to K^{\delta}$ where each coordinate function $\Theta_i$ is an additive ...
5 votes
1 answer
710 views

Log resolutions on surfaces and 3-folds in characteristic p

If $X$ is a normal projective variety and $D$ a divisor in it, we say that $\pi\colon (\widetilde X,\widetilde D)\rightarrow (X,D)$ is a log resolution if $\widetilde X$ is a resolution of $X$, the ...
8 votes
0 answers
873 views

Resolution of singularities in positive characteristic

I am currently trying to make some small parts of the minimal model program work for some very explicit varities in positive characteristic. I have such a variety $X_1$ and I know that there is a ...
7 votes
2 answers
536 views

What are the polynomial relations between these characteristic 2 "thetas" ?

Suppose $\ell=2m+1$, $m>0$. Define $[i]$ in $\mathbb{Z}/2\mathbb{Z}[[x]]$ to be $$\sum_{n\equiv i\mod l} x^{n^2}.$$ Note that $[0]=1$, and that $[i]=[j]$ whenever $\ell$ divides $i+j$ or $i-j$. ...
9 votes
0 answers
560 views

Function fields of characteristic p modular curves, and mod p reductions of the classical modular equation

Let l and p be distinct primes, l>2. There are "characteristic p modular curves" X_0(l) and X(l), defined over an algebraic closure, K, of Z/p, solving moduli problems for elliptic curves with some ...
2 votes
1 answer
406 views

Isomorphism between pull-backs of an F-crystal by different liftings of Frobenius

This might be a naive question. But since I haven't seen this in any reference, I'll try to ask it here. Let $T$ be a smooth scheme over the algebraically closed field $k$ of characteristic $p>0$ (...
5 votes
1 answer
446 views

More questions involving characteristic 2 theta series identities

In my answer to my earlier question, "Existence of certain identities involving characteristic 2 thetas", I established some curious identities when the thetas have prime "level" congruent to 1 mod 4 ...
20 votes
2 answers
2k views

Frobenius splitting and derived Cartier isomorphism

Let $X$ be a smooth algebraic variety over an algebraically closed field $k$ of characteristic $p>\dim X$. The motivation for my question comes from the following results. 1. If $X$ is Frobenius ...
6 votes
1 answer
804 views

Del pezzo surfaces in positive characteristic

For me a Del Pezzo surface $X$ over an algebraically closed field of characteristic $p$ is an algebraic surface where the anticanonical bundle $\omega^{-1}_X$ or $-K_X$ is ample. (I prefer the second ...
21 votes
1 answer
2k views

When does the relative differential $df=0$ imply that $f$ comes from the base?

Let $A \to B$ be a map of commutative rings, and $d : B \to I/I^2$ be defined by $df = f\otimes 1 - 1\otimes f$, where $I$ is the kernel of $B \otimes_A B \to B$, as in [Hartshorne II.8]. If $df=0$,...
15 votes
0 answers
779 views

Lifting varieties from char. $p$ to char. 0 after alterations

The question is related to this MO question: Lifting varieties to characteristic zero. Let $X$ be a projective smooth variety over $k$ alg. closed field of char. $p.$ Does there always exist an ...
11 votes
1 answer
615 views

Do Richardson varieties have rational singularities in arbitrary characteristic?

The title basically asks the question. I'll review the relevant terminology and explain what I have and haven't found in the literature. Let $G$ be a reductive group. Let $v \leq w$ be elements of ...
2 votes
1 answer
304 views

Connected extensions of finite by connected algebraic groups

Let $1\to H\to E\to G\to 1$ be a short exact sequence of algebraic groups defined over an algebraically closed field $k$ of characteristic $p$. Suppose $H$ is a finite group, and $G$ and $E$ are ...
5 votes
1 answer
461 views

Given a branched cover with branch cycle description $(g_1,...,g_r)$, does $g_i$ generate some decomposition group?

Classically: Let $a_1,...,a_r$ be points in $\mathbb{P}^1_{\mathbb{C}}$, and let $\alpha_1,...,\alpha_r$ be simple loops around the $a_i$, all counterclockwise, and none touching (so $\alpha_1...\...
3 votes
0 answers
281 views

What would be a characteristic-$p$ analogue for $C^{\infty}$-fiber bundles?

I'd like to know a notion for a morphism between algebraic varieties in characteristic $p$ that plays the role of a $C^{\infty}$-fiber bundle. It should be, in particular, flat. I'm not assuming the ...
13 votes
1 answer
690 views

Obstructions to formally integrating vector fields in characteristic p?

Let $M$ be a smooth scheme over some field $k$ of characteristic $p$, and $\vec X$ a vector field on it. Equivalently, $\vec X$ gives a map $Spec\ k[\epsilon]/\langle \epsilon^2 \rangle \times M \to M$...
12 votes
1 answer
2k views

Replacement for derivations in characteristic p?

Let $k$ be a field. If $f \in k[x]$ is a polynomial, and $d/dx\ f = 0$, then either $f$ is constant, or $char\ k = p$ and $f \in k[x^p]$. So "annihilated by all derivations" is perhaps not the right ...
21 votes
4 answers
2k views

Simplest example of jumping of cohomology of structure sheaf in smooth families?

Using Hodge theory (and the ill-defined Lefschetz principle), one can show that in characteristic 0, given a proper smooth family $X \rightarrow B$, the cohomology groups of the structure sheaf of the ...
4 votes
1 answer
627 views

Can the projection (tensor algebra) -> (symmetric algebra) be forced to split in char. p by factoring out p-th powers?

Question 1 (the weak and simple statement, which, I think, already is wrong): Let $p$ be a prime. Let $k$ be a field with characteristic $p$. For any $k$-vector space $V$, consider the canonical ...
32 votes
10 answers
3k views

Which 'well-known' algebraic geometric results do not hold in characteristic 2?

A smooth curve $X$ in $\mathbb{P}^n$ is strange if there is a point $p$ which lies on all the tangent lines of $X$. Examples are $\mathbb{P}^1$ is strange and so is $y=x^2$ in characteristic $2$. ...
4 votes
1 answer
221 views

Do permutation modules of solvable groups have self-dual socle in characteristic 2?

I was searching through the small groups database in GAP to find counterexamples to a certain conjecture (which is not important here). I was checking non-nilpotent solvable groups and noticed that ...
5 votes
0 answers
234 views

Modular reduction of exceptional complex reflection groups

I am interested in reducing reflection representations of complex reflection groups modulo a prime $p$. For the infinite family $G(m,r,n)$, it is straightforward to get "good reduction" provided that $...
7 votes
1 answer
2k views

Can proper-smooth base change be used to show that varieties cannot be lifted to characteristic zero?

Recall the following corollary to the proper and smooth base change theorems: Let $\pi: X \to S$ be a proper, smooth morphism. Then the direct images $R^i \pi_* \mathcal{F}$ are locally constant ...
13 votes
2 answers
1k views

Is the Characteristic of a Field Detectable from the Topology of a Topological Vector Space?

Motivation A topological vector space is a vector space over a (topological) field, K, that carries a topology such that addition and scalar multiplication are continuous maps, e.g., all normed vector ...
13 votes
1 answer
651 views

Help wanted with Chebotarev condition in characteristic 2

Having promised a longtime collaborator that I would clear my plate to finish up some joint work of ours, I am swallowing my pride and tossing up the following technical point of function field ...
4 votes
2 answers
604 views

Adem-Wu relations from Bullett-Macdonald identities

Question. Let $p$ be a prime. Let $q$ be a power of $p$. Let $P^0$, $P^1$, $P^2$, ... be elements of some associative $\mathbb F_q$-algebra $A$. (Here, $P^i$ does not mean $P$ to the $i$-th power; ...
4 votes
2 answers
694 views

Ample line bundle and Frobenius morphism on smooth toric variety

Let $k$ be an algebraically closed field of $\mathrm{char}(k)=p>0$, $X$ a smooth toric projective variety of $\dim X=n$, $F_X:X\rightarrow X$ the absolute Frobenius morphism of $X$. Then for any $\...

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