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21 votes
4 answers
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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 ...
Ravi Vakil's user avatar
  • 3,857
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 $df=0$,...
Allen Knutson's user avatar
21 votes
1 answer
1k views

Does every relative curve have a Picard scheme?

More precisely: Let $X \to S$ be a smooth proper morphism of schemes such that the geometric fibers are integral curves of genus $g$. Must the fppf relative Picard functor $\operatorname{\bf ...
Bjorn Poonen's user avatar
  • 23.8k
21 votes
1 answer
2k views

Are all formal schemes *really* Ind-schemes?

$\newcommand\LRS{\mathsf{LRS}}\newcommand\FormalSch{\mathsf{FormalSch}}\DeclareMathOperator\Spf{Spf}\newcommand\IndSch{\mathsf{IndSch}}\newcommand\ALRS{\mathsf{ALRS}}\newcommand\FSch{\mathsf{FSch}}$I'...
Saal Hardali's user avatar
  • 7,799
20 votes
5 answers
4k views

Equivalent statements of the Riemann hypothesis in the Weil conjectures

In the cohomological incarnation, the Riemann hypothesis part of the Weil conjectures for a smooth proper scheme of finite type over a finite field with $q$ elements says that: the eigenvalues of ...
Brandon Levin's user avatar
20 votes
3 answers
6k views

Closed vs Rational Points on Schemes

Background: When Ueno builds the fully faithful functor from Var/k to Sch/k he mentions that the variety $V$ can be identified with the rational points of $t(V)$ over $k$. I know how to prove this on ...
Matt's user avatar
  • 970
20 votes
1 answer
2k views

Functorial characterization of open subschemes?

Given a morphism of schemes f: U → X, can one determine when f is an isomorphism of U onto an open subscheme of X in terms of some induced functors between the categories of quasicoherent modules ...
Manny Reyes's user avatar
  • 5,407
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 ...
Piotr Achinger's user avatar
20 votes
1 answer
831 views

Why would one "attempt" to define points of a motive as $\operatorname{Ext}^1(\mathbb{Q}(0),M)$?

I'm a novice when it comes to motives. (I've read multiple introductory texts.) I'm attempting to read Galois Theory and Diophantine geometry by Minhyong Kim. In it, he says that "One might attempt, ...
Quinlan Aktaş's user avatar
20 votes
1 answer
2k views

Geometric generic fibre

This is a pretty elementary question about schemes, but it came up in the course of research, so let's try it here rather than MSE. Question 1: Are the fibres of a family of complex varieties ...
Lazzaro Campeotti's user avatar
20 votes
0 answers
408 views

Ado's theorem and the reduction to positive characteristic

The synopsis: proofs of Ado theorem in positive characteristic are simple, and in characteristic $0$ are difficult. Can one infer the characteristic $0$ case from the positive characteristic case? The ...
Dmitrii Korshunov's user avatar
19 votes
3 answers
2k views

Elkies' supersingularity theorem in higher dimension

The following is a theorem of Elkies: Let $X$ be an elliptic curve over $\mathbb{Q}$. Then there are infinitely many primes $p$ such that the action of Frobenius on $H^1(\mathcal{O}, X)$ is zero. ...
David E Speyer's user avatar
19 votes
1 answer
2k views

The Infinitesimal topos in positive characteristic

This question was inspired by and is somewhat related to this question. In his article "Crystals and the de Rham cohomology of schemes" in the collection "Dix exposes sur la cohomologie ...
Lars's user avatar
  • 4,450
19 votes
1 answer
977 views

Lang's Jacobian identity: slicker, elementary proof?

In Jeffrey Lang, A Jacobian identity in positive characteristic, J. Commut. Algebra, Volume 7, Number 3 (2015), pp. 393--409, the following result is proven: Theorem 1. Let $p$ be a prime. Let $\...
darij grinberg's user avatar
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 ...
stankewicz's user avatar
  • 3,625
19 votes
1 answer
2k views

Perfectoid approach to resolution of singularities in char $p$

Since perfectoid techniques have built a bridge between char $0$ and char $p$ worlds, it is conceivable that they can be applied to resolution of singularities in char $p$ using their successful ...
Arna's user avatar
  • 199
19 votes
2 answers
3k views

Bertini theorems for base-point-free linear systems in positive characteristics

Suppose that $X$ is a smooth algebraic variety over an algebraically closed (uncountable if it helps) field of characteristic $p > 0$. Suppose that $L$ is a line bundle, probably ample or at least ...
Karl Schwede's user avatar
  • 20.5k
19 votes
1 answer
956 views

"Real algebraic varieties" vs finite type separated reduced $\mathbb{R}$-schemes with dense $\mathbb{R}$-points

This question is partly motivated by a few comments here. Let me denote by $R$ the (real-closed) field of real numbers $\mathbb{R}$; everything is probably the same over an arbitrary real-closed field....
Qfwfq's user avatar
  • 23.4k
18 votes
3 answers
3k views

Lifting varieties to characteristic zero.

If you want to compute crystalline cohomology of a smooth proper variety $X$ over a perfect field $k$ of characteristic $p$, the first thing you might want to try is to lift $X$ to the Witt ring $W_k$ ...
Xandi Tuni's user avatar
  • 4,015
18 votes
1 answer
1k views

A linear algebra problem in positive characteristic

Let $A$ be a symmetric square matrix with entries in $\mathbb{Z}/p\mathbb{Z}$ for a prime $p$ such that all of its diagonal entries are nonzero. Does there exists always a vector $x$ with all ...
Mostafa - Free Palestine's user avatar
18 votes
4 answers
2k views

What are the Benefits of Using Algebraic Spaces over Schemes?

I have heard that algebraic spaces have better formal properties than schemes. What are these benefits? Also, is there a natural way to go straight from affine schemes to algebraic spaces bypassing ...
Dinakar Muthiah's user avatar
18 votes
2 answers
2k views

Homotopy types of schemes

Let $X$ be a scheme over $\mathbb{C}$. When does the topological space $X\left(\mathbb{C}\right)$ of $\mathbb{C}$-points have the homotopy type of a finite CW-complex? When does the topological ...
David Carchedi's user avatar
18 votes
3 answers
2k views

Is there an example of a variety over the complex numbers with no embedding into a smooth variety?

Is there an example of a variety over the complex numbers with no embedding into a smooth variety?
David Zureick-Brown's user avatar
18 votes
3 answers
2k views

Can $\mathcal O_X$ be recognized abstract-nonsensically?

This question has been asked by Teimuraz Pirashvili many years ago. I forgot about it after a while and remembered only now by accident. He probably knows the answer by now, but I still don't. In the ...
მამუკა ჯიბლაძე's user avatar
18 votes
2 answers
2k views

Images and monomorphisms of schemes

If $X$ is an object in an arbitrary category, there is a natural definition of a subobject of $X$ as a monomorphism into $X$ (or really an equivalence class of monomorphisms). If $X$ is a scheme, ...
Harold Williams's user avatar
18 votes
1 answer
2k views

Independence of $\ell$ of Betti numbers

When $X$ is a smooth proper variety over $\mathbb F_q$, we know by Deligne's theory of weights that the dimension of $H^i_{\operatorname{\acute et}}(\bar X, \mathbb Q_\ell)$ does not depend on $\ell$. ...
R. van Dobben de Bruyn's user avatar
18 votes
0 answers
2k views

History of the functor of points

Until now, I thought the functor of points approach was introduced by Grothendieck at the 1973 Buffalo seminar. However, in this note by Lawvere the author writes: "I myself had learned the ...
Arrow's user avatar
  • 10.5k
17 votes
2 answers
3k views

Why is one interested in the mod p reduction of modular curves and Shimura varieties?

Why is one interested in the mod p reduction of modular curves and Shimura varieties? From an article I learned that this can be used to prove the Eichler-Shimura relation which in turn proves the ...
user avatar
17 votes
4 answers
2k views

What are supersingular varieties?

For varieties over a field of characteristic $p$, I saw people talking about supersingular varieties. I wanted to ask "why are supersingular varieties interesting". However, as I don't want to ask an ...
temp's user avatar
  • 2,040
17 votes
2 answers
1k views

A short proof for simple connectedness of the projective line

The Riemann-Hurwitz formula implies that the projective line $\mathbb{P}^1_K$ over any algebraically closed field $K$ is simply connected (i.e., $\pi_1^{et}(\mathbb{P}^1_K) = 1$; equivalently, if $\...
Lior Bary-Soroker's user avatar
17 votes
1 answer
1k views

Is a direct sum of flabby sheaves flabby?

Consider a family of flabby (= flasque) sheaves $(\mathcal F_i)_{i\in I}$ of abelian groups on the topological space $X$. My question : is their direct sum sheaf $\mathcal F=\oplus _{i\in I} \mathcal ...
Georges Elencwajg's user avatar
17 votes
2 answers
1k views

What is an explicit example of a variety X which is finite over Spec F_p but which does not lift to a scheme Y which is finite and flat over Spec Z_p?

What is an explicit example of a variety X which is finite over Spec F_p but which does not lift to a scheme Y which is finite and flat over Spec Z_p?
David Zureick-Brown's user avatar
17 votes
2 answers
2k views

How to think of algebraic geometry in characteristic p?

How does a working mathematician usually think about algebraic geometry in characteristic $p$? For the sake of concreteness, and to make things more "geometric" (whatever that means), let's ...
JustLikeNumberTheory's user avatar
17 votes
1 answer
3k views

A book on elliptic curves using scheme theory?

I'm interested in learning some stuff about elliptic curves. I've been learning scheme theory, and I'm interested in seeing these tools "in action". It seems that the standard introduction to elliptic ...
Alex Mathers's user avatar
17 votes
2 answers
1k views

Construction of the petit Zariski topos out of the gros topos of a scheme

Let S be a scheme. Let (Sch/S) be a small category of schemes over S (including essentially all finitely presented schemes affine over S). Let E = (Sch/S)zar denote the gros Zariski topos with its ...
Marc Nieper-Wißkirchen's user avatar
17 votes
2 answers
1k views

Higher level analogs of Nicolas-Serre theory

NICOLAS-SERRE THEORY Let $F \in Z/2[[x]]$ be $x+x^9+x^{25}+...$, the exponents being the odd squares, and $V$ be the space spanned by the $F^k$ with $k$ odd. Nicolas and Serre define formal Hecke ...
paul Monsky's user avatar
  • 5,422
17 votes
0 answers
1k views

Katz--Mazur for abelian varieties

Over $\mathbb Z$, there is a smooth DM stack $A_g$ classifying abelian varieties. Over $\mathbb Z[\frac 1N]$, there is finite etale cover $A_g(N)_{\mathbb Z[\frac 1N]}\to A_g\otimes\mathbb Z[\frac 1N]...
John Pardon's user avatar
  • 18.7k
16 votes
2 answers
3k views

Is there an example of a formally smooth morphism which is not smooth?

A morphism of schemes is formally smooth and locally of finite presentation iff it is smooth. What happens if we drop the finitely presented hypothesis? Of course, locally of finite presentation is ...
David Zureick-Brown's user avatar
16 votes
1 answer
2k views

Classical algebraic varieties VS $k$-schemes VS schemes

We know that there is an equivalence of categories between the two following categories: $1)$ Classical varieties over $k$, where $k$ is an algebraically closed field. (Informally I mean locally ...
Dubious's user avatar
  • 1,237
16 votes
3 answers
3k views

Infinite projective space

Is infinite (say complex) projective space a scheme? More generally, can schemes have infinite cardinal dimension? It seems that infinite dimensional projective space is not a manifold, since it is ...
user avatar
16 votes
3 answers
2k views

On Category O in positive characteristic

Let $G$ be a semisimple algebraic group over an algebraically closed field $k$. In the case that $k$ has characteristic 0, there has been intensive study of the BGG category O of representations of ...
Chuck Hague's user avatar
  • 3,637
16 votes
3 answers
2k views

Applications of schemes to mathematical physics

Could anyone cite some applications or developments in mathematical physics or string theory that use schemes? I find curious the fact that while things like derived algebraic geometry and stacks ...
Martin Hurtado's user avatar
16 votes
2 answers
1k views

Is the tangent space functor from PD formal groups to Lie algebras an equivalence?

The previous version of this question was rather badly broken, and I hope this version makes some sense. There have been a few questions on MathOverflow about how much representation-theoretic ...
S. Carnahan's user avatar
  • 45.7k
16 votes
1 answer
1k views

Coarse moduli spaces over Z and F_p

I would like to know to what extent it is possible to compare fibers over $\mathbb{F}_p$ of coarse moduli spaces over $\mathbb{Z}$, and coarse moduli spaces over $\mathbb{F}_p$. I ask a more precise ...
Olivier Benoist's user avatar
16 votes
1 answer
2k views

Universal homeomorphisms and the étale topology

Let $f:X\to S$ be a universal homeomorphism of schemes. Assume $X(S')\neq\emptyset$ for some étale surjective $S'\to S$. Does $f$ have a section? The answer is yes if $S$ is reduced, by descent. ...
Laurent Moret-Bailly's user avatar
16 votes
1 answer
984 views

Reconstruct a variety from its crystalline topos

Let $k$ be a perfect field of positive characteristic. Let $X$ be a smooth projective geometrically connected $k$-scheme with a $k$-point. Can we reconstruct $X$ from its small crystalline topos $((X/...
user avatar
15 votes
6 answers
3k views

Characteristic zero and characteristic $p$ in algebraic geometry

Are there non-trivial (i.e. excluding concepts that can be defined only for $p>0$) statements in algebraic geometry that hold for all fields of characteristic $p$ for all prime $p$ but are known ...
user avatar
15 votes
2 answers
2k views

Biggest Field Of Characteristic $p$

The Surreal nummbers, $\boldsymbol{No}$, are according to Wikipidia the biggest ordered field, and the Surrcomplex numbers are the biggest field of characteristic 0. Biggest in the sense that every ...
Adi Ostrov's user avatar
15 votes
5 answers
3k views

Can we count isogeny classes of abelian varieties?

Let's fix a finite field F and consider abelian varieties of dimension g over F. Can we say how many isogeny classes there are? Is it even clear that there's more than one isogeny class? For g=1, ...
Rebecca Bellovin's user avatar
15 votes
1 answer
1k views

Number of curves over a finite field

Let $K$ be a finite field. Is there a formula for the number of isomorphism classes of genus $g$ smooth curves over $K$? In other words does there exists a formula for the number of rational points ...
Puzzled's user avatar
  • 8,998

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