Some moduli stacks of symplectic bundles on a curve are rational

Let C be a smooth projective curve of genus g?2 over a field k. Given a line bundle L on C, let Sympl2n,L be the moduli stack of vector bundles E of rank 2n on C endowed with a nowhere degenerate symplectic form up to scalars. We prove that this stack is birational to BGm×As for some s if deg(E)=n⋅deg(L) is odd and C admits a rational point P∈C(k) as well as a line bundle ξ of degree 0 with ξ⊗2?OC. It follows that the corresponding coarse moduli scheme of Ramanathan-stable symplectic bundles is rational in this case.     

Integral generators for the cohomology ring of moduli spaces of sheaves over Poisson surfaces

Let M be a smooth and compact moduli space of stable coherent sheaves on a projective surface S with an effective (or trivial) anti-canonical line bundle. We find generators for the cohomology ring of M, with integral coefficients. When S is simply connected and a universal sheaf E exists over S×M, then its class [E] admits a Künneth decomposition as a class in the tensor product of the topological K-rings. The generators are the Chern classes of the Künneth factors of [E] in . The general case is similar.     

On the F-fundamental group scheme

Let X be a smooth projective variety defined over a perfect field k of positive characteristic, and let FX be the absolute Frobenius morphism of X. For any vector bundle E→X, and any polynomial g with non-negative integer coefficients, define the vector bundle using the powers of FX and the direct sum operation. We construct a neutral Tannakian category using the vector bundles with the property that there are two distinct polynomials f and g with non-negative integer coefficients such that . We also investigate the group scheme defined by this neutral Tannakian category.     

Opers and theta functions

We construct natural maps (the Klein and Wirtinger maps) from moduli spaces of semistable vector bundles over an algebraic curve X to affine spaces, as quotients of the nonabelian theta linear series. We prove a finiteness result for these maps over generalized Kummer varieties (moduli space of torus bundles), leading us to conjecture that the maps are finite in general. The conjecture provides canonical explicit coordinates on the moduli space. The finiteness results give low-dimensional parametrizations of Jacobians (in for generic curves), described by 2Θ functions or second logarithmic derivatives of theta.We interpret the Klein and Wirtinger maps in terms of opers on X. Opers are generalizations of projective structures, and can be considered as differential operators, kernel functions or special bundles with connection. The matrix opers (analogues of opers for matrix differential operators) combine the structures of flat vector bundle and projective connection, and map to opers via generalized Hitchin maps. For vector bundles off the theta divisor, the Szegö kernel gives a natural construction of matrix oper. The Wirtinger map from bundles off the theta divisor to the affine space of opers is then defined as the determinant of the Szegö kernel. This generalizes the Wirtinger projective connections associated to theta characteristics, and the associated Klein bidifferentials.     

Affine Demazure modules and T-fixed point subschemes in the affine Grassmannian

Let G be a simple algebraic group defined over C and T be a maximal torus of G. For a dominant coweight λ of G, the T-fixed point subscheme of the Schubert variety in the affine Grassmannian GrG is a finite scheme. We prove that for all such λ if G is of type A or D and for many of them if G is of type E, there is a natural isomorphism between the dual of the level one affine Demazure module corresponding to λ and the ring of functions (twisted by certain line bundle on GrG) of . We use this fact to give a geometrical proof of the Frenkel-Kac-Segal isomorphism between basic representations of affine algebras of A,D,E type and lattice vertex algebras.     

Bogomolov restriction theorem for Higgs bundles

Let (E,θ) be a stable Higgs bundle of rank r on a smooth complex projective surface X equipped with a polarization H. Let C⊂X be a smooth complete curve with [C]=n⋅H. If where , then we prove that the restriction of (E,θ) to C is a stable Higgs bundle. This is a Higgs bundle analog of Bogomolov's restriction theorem for stable vector bundles.     

The Frobenius map, rank 2 vector bundles and Kummer's quartic surface in characteristic 2 and 3

Let X be a smooth projective curve of genus g?2 defined over an algebraically closed field k of characteristic p>0. Let M_X(r) be the moduli space of semi-stable vector bundles with fixed trivial determinant. The relative Frobenius map induces by pull-back a rational map . We determine the equations of V in the following two cases (1) (g,r,p)=(2,2,2) and X nonordinary with Hasse-Witt invariant equal to 1 (see math.AG/0005044 for the case X ordinary), and (2) (g,r,p)=(2,2,3). We also show the existence of base points of V, i.e., semi-stable bundles E such that F∗E is not semi-stable, for any triple (g,r,p).     

Chen-Ruan cohomology of some moduli spaces of parabolic vector bundles

Let (X,D) be an ?-pointed compact Riemann surface of genus at least two. For each point x∈D, fix parabolic weights such that . Fix a holomorphic line bundle ξ over X of degree one. Let PMξ denote the moduli space of stable parabolic vector bundles, of rank two and determinant ξ, with parabolic structure over D and parabolic weights . The group of order two line bundles over X acts on PMξ by the rule E_∗⊗L?E_∗⊗L. We compute the Chen-Ruan cohomology ring of the corresponding orbifold.     

Numerically effective line bundles associated to a stable bundle over a curve

Let G be a complex semisimple group and χ a character of a parabolic subgroup P⊂G such that the associated line bundle on G/P is ample. For a general stable G-bundle E_G over a compact Riemann surface of genus at least two, the line bundle over E_G/P defined by χ has the property that the restriction of  to any closed subvariety of E_G/P of smaller dimension is ample, although is not ample.     

The evaluation subgroup of a fibre inclusion

Let be a fibration of simply connected CW complexes of finite type with classifying map . We study the evaluation subgroup Gn(E,X;j) of the fibre inclusion as an invariant of the fibre-homotopy type of ξ. For spherical fibrations, we show the evaluation subgroup may be expressed as an extension of the Gottlieb group of the fibre sphere provided the classifying map h induces the trivial map on homotopy groups. We extend this result after rationalization: We show that the decomposition G_∗(E,X;j)⊗Q=(G_∗(X)⊗Q)⊕(π_∗(B)⊗Q) is equivalent to the condition Q(h_?)=0.     

Uniqueness results for semilinear polyharmonic boundary value problems on conformally contractible domains. II

We continue Part I of this paper on polyharmonic boundary value problems (−Δ)^mu=f(u) on , , with Dirichlet boundary conditions. Here Ω is a bounded or unbounded conformally contractible domain as defined in Part I. The uniqueness principle proved in Part I is applied to show the following theorems: if f(s)=λs+|s|^p−1s, λ?0, with a supercritical p>(n+2m)/(n−2m) we extend the well-known non-existence result of Pucci and Serrin (Indiana Univ. Math. J. 35 (1986) 681-703) for bounded star-shaped domains to the wider class of bounded conformally contractible domains. We give two examples of domains in this class which are not star-shaped. In the case where 1<p<(n+2m)/(n−2m) is subcritical we give lower bounds for the L^∞-norm of non-trivial solutions. For certain unbounded conformally contractible domains, 1<p<(n+2m)/(n−2m) subcritical and λ?0 we show that the only smooth solution in H2m−1(Ω) is u≡0. Finally, on a bounded conformally contractible domain uniqueness of non-trivial solutions for f(s)=λ(1+|s|^p−1s), p>(n+2m)/(n−2m), supercritical and small λ>0 is proved. Solutions are critical points of a functional on a suitable space X. The theorems are proved by finding one-parameter groups of transformations on X which strictly reduce the values of . Then the uniqueness principle of Part I can be applied.     

On the independence of Heegner points associated to distinct quadratic imaginary fields

Let E/Q be an elliptic curve with no CM and a fixed modular parametrization and let be Heegner points attached to the rings of integers of distinct quadratic imaginary fields k₁,…,kr. We prove that if the odd parts of the class numbers of k₁,…,kr are larger than a constant C=C(E,ΦE) depending only on E and ΦE, then the points P₁,…,Pr are independent in .     

Reduction of structure group of pullbacks of semistable principal bundles

Let C be an irreducible smooth projective curve defined over an algebraically closed field k. Let G be a semisimple linear algebraic group defined over the field k and P⊂G a proper parabolic subgroup. Fix a strictly anti-dominant character χ of P. Let EG be a semistable principal G-bundle over C. If the characteristic of k is positive, then EG is assumed to be strongly semistable. Take any real number ?>0. Then there is an irreducible smooth projective curve defined over k, a nonconstant morphism

     

On a question of Sean Keel

Let X be a smooth projective surface defined over , and let L be a line bundle over X such that for every complete curve Y contained in X. A question of Keel asks whether L is ample. If X is a P¹-bundle over a curve, we prove that this question has an affirmative answer.     

The symmetric Radon-Nikodým property for tensor norms

We introduce the symmetric Radon-Nikodým property (sRN property) for finitely generated s-tensor norms β of order n and prove a Lewis type theorem for s-tensor norms with this property. As a consequence, if β is a projective s-tensor norm with the sRN property, then for every Asplund space E, the canonical mapping is a metric surjection. This can be rephrased as the isometric isomorphism Qmin(E)=Q(E) for some polynomial ideal Q. We also relate the sRN property of an s-tensor norm with the Asplund or Radon-Nikodým properties of different tensor products. As an application, results concerning the ideal of n-homogeneous extendible polynomials are obtained, as well as a new proof of the well-known isometric isomorphism between nuclear and integral polynomials on Asplund spaces. An analogous study is carried out for full tensor products.     

Direct image of parabolic line bundles

Given a vector bundle E, on an irreducible projective variety X, we give a necessary and sufficient criterion for E to be a direct image of a line bundle under a surjective étale morphism. The criterion in question is the existence of a Cartan subalgebra bundle of the endomorphism bundle $\text{End}(E)$. As a corollary, a criterion is obtained for E to be the direct image of the structure sheaf under an étale morphism. The direct image of a parabolic line bundle under any ramified covering map has a natural parabolic structure. Given a parabolic vector bundle, we give a similar criterion for it to be the direct image of a parabolic line bundle under a ramified covering map.     

Characteristic classes and transversality

Let ξ be a smooth vector bundle over a differentiable manifold M. Let be a generic bundle morphism from the trivial bundle of rank n−i+1 to ξ. We give a geometric construction of the Stiefel-Whitney classes when ξ is a real vector bundle, and of the Chern classes when ξ is a complex vector bundle. Using h we define a differentiable closed manifold and a map whose image is the singular set of h. The ith characteristic class of ξ is the Poincaré dual of the image, under the homomorphism induced in homology by ?, of the fundamental class of the manifold . We extend this definition for vector bundles over a paracompact space, using that the universal bundle is filtered by smooth vector bundles.