Generic points of quadrics and Chow groups

In this article we study the sufficient conditions for the k̅-defined element of the Chow group of a smooth variety to be k-rational (defined over k). For 0-cycles this question was addressed earlier. Our methods work for cycles of arbitrary dimension. We show that it is sufficient to check this property over the generic point of a quadric of sufficiently large dimension. Among the applications one should mention the uniform construction of fields with all known u-invariants.     

Oriented Chow groups, Hermitian K-theory and the Gersten conjecture

We show that the oriented Chow groups of Barge–Morel appear in the E ₂-term of the coniveau spectral sequence for Hermitian K-theory. This includes a localization theorem and the Gersten conjecture (over infinite base fields) for Hermitian K-theory. We also discuss the conjectural relationship between oriented and higher oriented Chow groups and Levine’s homotopy coniveau spectral sequence when applied to Hermitian K-theory.     

Mumford curves in a specialized pencil of sextics

We discuss Mumford curves in the pencil on a Del Pezzo quintic surface constructed by Edge [Ed1]. The abstract group structures of the normalizer of the corresponding Schottky groups are described, which give us some knowledges on Mumford loci in moduli space of curves. Received: 5 July 2000 / Accepted: 23 October 2000     

Counting hyperelliptic curves

We find a closed formula for the number hyp(g) of hyperelliptic curves of genus g over a finite field k=Fq of odd characteristic. These numbers hyp(g) are expressed as a polynomial in q with integer coefficients that depend on g and the set of divisors of q−1 and q+1. As a by-product we obtain a closed formula for the number of self-dual curves of genus g. A hyperelliptic curve is defined to be self-dual if it is k-isomorphic to its own hyperelliptic twist.     

Zero cycles on conic fibrations and a conjecture of Bloch

Let X be a smooth projective surface over a number field k. Let (CH₀(X)) denote the Chow group of zero-cyles modulo rational equivalence on X. Let CH₀(X) be the subgroup of CH ₀(X) consisting of classes which vanish when going over to an arbitrary completion of k. Bloch put forward a conjecture asserting that this group is isomorphic to the Tate-Shafarevich group of a certain Galois module atttached to X. In this paper, we disprove this general conjecture. We produce a conic bundle X over an elliptic curve, for which the group (CH₀(X) is not zero, but the Galois-theoretic Tate-Shafarevich group vanishes.     

On additive polynomials and certain maximal curves

We show that a maximal curve over F_q² given by an equation A(X)=F(Y), where A(X)∈F_q²[X] is additive and separable and where F(Y)∈F_q²[Y] has degree m prime to the characteristic p, is such that all roots of A(X) belong to F_q². In the particular case where F(Y)=Y^m, we show that the degree m is a divisor of q+1.     

Modification systems and integration in their Chow groups

We introduce a notion of integration on the category of proper birational maps to a given variety X, with value in an associated Chow group. Applications include new birational invariants; comparison results for Chern classes and numbers of nonsingular birational varieties; ‘stringy’ Chern classes of singular varieties; and a zeta function specializing to the topological zeta function. In its simplest manifestation, the integral gives a new expression for Chern–Schwartz–MacPherson classes of possibly singular varieties, placing them into a context in which a ‘change-of-variable’ formula holds.     

On the motive of certain subvarieties of fixed flags

We compute the Chow motive of certain subvarieties of the Flags manifold and show that it is an Artin motive.     

Divisibility of zeta functions of curves in a covering

We prove, as an analogy of a conjecture of Artin, that if is a finite flat morphism between two singular reduced absolutely irreducible projective algebraic curves defined over a finite field, then the numerator of the zeta function of X divides that of Y in . Then, we give some interpretations of this result in terms of semi-abelian varieties. Received: 23 July 2001     

On the Lüroth semigroup of curves lying on a smooth quadric

For a smooth irreducible complete algebraic curveC the “gaps” are the integersn such that every linear series of degreen has at least a base point. The Lüroth semigroup S_C of a curveC is the subsemigroup ofN whose elements are not gaps. In this paper we deal with irreducible smooth curves of type (a, b) on a smooth quadricQ. The main result is an algorithm by which we can say if some integer λ∈N is a gap or is in S_C. In the general case there are integers λ which are undecidable. For curves such as complete intersection, arithmetically Cohen-Macaulay or Buchsbaum, we are able to describe explicitly “intervals” of gaps and “intervals” of integers which belong to S_C. For particular cases we can completely determine S_C, by giving just the type of the curve (in particular the degree and the genus). Work done with financial support of M.U.R.S.T. while the authors were members of G.N.S.A.G.A. of C.N.R.     

Hasse principle for classical groups over function fields of curves over number fields

In (Letter to J.-P. Serre, 12 June 1991) Colliot-Thélène conjectures the following: Let F be a function field in one variable over a number field, with field of constants k and G be a semisimple simply connected linear algebraic group defined over F. Then the map has trivial kernel, denoting the set of places of k.The conjecture is true if G is of type 1A∗, i.e., isomorphic to SL₁(A) for a central simple algebra A over F of square free index, as pointed out by Colliot-Thélène, being an immediate consequence of the theorems of Merkurjev-Suslin [S1] and Kato [K]. Gille [G] proves the conjecture if G is defined over k and F=k(t), the rational function field in one variable over k. We prove that the conjecture is true for groups G defined over k of the types 2A∗, B_n, C_n, D_n (D₄ nontrialitarian), G₂ or F₄; a group is said to be of type 2A∗, if it is isomorphic to SU(B,τ) for a central simple algebra B of square free index over a quadratic extension k′ of k with a unitary k′|k involution τ.     

Rational places in extensions and sequences of function fields of Kummer type

In this paper we prove results on the number of rational places in extensions of Kummer type over finite fields and give sufficient conditions for non-trivial lower bounds on the number of rational places at each step of sequences of function fields over a finite field, that we call (a, b)-sequences. In the case of a prime field, we apply these results to the study of rational places in certain sequences of function fields of Kummer type.     

A graded Gersten-Witt complex for schemes with a dualizing complex and the Chow group

We construct for any scheme X with a dualizing complex I_• a Gersten-Witt complex and show that the differential of this complex respects the filtration by the powers of the fundamental ideal. To prove this we introduce second residue maps for one-dimensional local domains which have a dualizing complex. This residue maps generalize the classical second residue morphisms for discrete valuation rings. For the cohomology of the quotient complexes of this filtration we prove , where μ_I is the codimension function of the dualizing complex I_• and denotes the Chow group of μ_I-codimension p-cycles modulo rational equivalence.     

On subgroups of orthogonal groups of isotropic quadratic forms

Let a field K be an algebraic extension of a subfield k of characteristic not 2, n an integer, a non-degenerate isotropic form in n variables over K with coefficients in k. We study subgroups of the orthogonal group O_n(K,Q) that contain the derived subgroup Ω_n(k,Q) of the group O_n(k,Q).     

Trialitarian groups and the Hasse principle

Let F be a field of characteristic ≠ 2 such that is of cohomological 2- and 3-dimension ≤ 2. For G a simply connected group of type ³ D ₄ or ⁶ D ₄ over F, we show that the natural map