Effectivity of Brauer–Manin obstructions on surfaces

We study Brauer–Manin obstructions to the Hasse principle and to weak approximation on algebraic surfaces over number fields. A technique for constructing Azumaya algebra representatives of Brauer group elements is given, and this is applied to the computation of obstructions.     

Lines on Fermat surfaces

We prove that the Néron-Severi groups of several complex Fermat surfaces are generated by lines. Specifically, we obtain these new results for all degrees up to 100 that are relatively prime to 6. The proof uses reduction modulo a supersingular prime. The techniques are developed in detail. They can be applied to other surfaces and varieties as well.     

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 .     

On the Brauer group of a semisimple algebraic group

Let k be a field with algebraic closure , G a semisimple algebraic k-group, and a maximal torus with character group X(T). Denote Λ the abstract weight lattice of the roots system of G, and by and the n-torsion subgroup of the Brauer group of k and G, respectively. We prove that if chark does not divide n and n is prime to the order of Λ/X(T) then the natural homomorphism is an isomorphism.     

Motivic integral of K3 surfaces over a non-archimedean field

We prove a formula expressing the motivic integral (Loeser and Sebag, 2003) [34] of a K3 surface over C((t)) with semi-stable reduction in terms of the associated limit mixed Hodge structure. Secondly, for every smooth variety over a complete discrete valuation field we define an analogue of the monodromy pairing, constructed by Grothendieck in the case of abelian varieties, and prove that our monodromy pairing is a birational invariant of the variety. Finally, we propose a conjectural formula for the motivic integral of maximally degenerate K3 surfaces over an arbitrary complete discrete valuation field and prove this conjecture for Kummer K3 surfaces.     

The kernel unipotent conjecture and the vanishing of Massey products for odd rigid fields

A major difficult problem in Galois theory is the characterization of profinite groups which are realizable as absolute Galois groups of fields. Recently the Kernel n-Unipotent Conjecture and the Vanishing n  -Massey Conjecture for n≥3$n\ge 3$ were formulated. These conjectures evolved in the last forty years as a byproduct of the application of topological methods to Galois cohomology. We show that both of these conjectures are true for odd rigid fields. This is the first case of a significant family of fields where both of the conjectures are verified besides fields whose Galois groups of p-maximal extensions are free pro-p-groups. We also prove the Kernel Unipotent Conjecture for Demushkin groups of rank 2, and establish various filtration results for free pro-p-groups, provide examples of pro-p-groups which do not have the kernel n-unipotent property, compare various Zassenhaus filtrations with the descending p-central series and establish new type of automatic Galois realization.     

Finiteness obstructions and Euler characteristics of categories

We introduce notions of finiteness obstruction, Euler characteristic, L²-Euler characteristic, and Möbius inversion for wide classes of categories. The finiteness obstruction of a category Γ of type (FPR) is a class in the projective class group K₀(RΓ); the functorial Euler characteristic and functorial L²-Euler characteristic are respectively its RΓ-rank and L²-rank. We also extend the second author's K-theoretic Möbius inversion from finite categories to quasi-finite categories. Our main example is the proper orbit category, for which these invariants are established notions in the geometry and topology of classifying spaces for proper group actions. Baez and Dolan's groupoid cardinality and Leinster's Euler characteristic are special cases of the L²-Euler characteristic. Some of Leinster's results on Möbius–Rota inversion are special cases of the K-theoretic Möbius inversion.     

Non-divisible cycles on surfaces over local fields

In this paper, we are concerned with the reciprocity map of unramified class field theory for smooth projective surfaces over non-archimedean local fields which do not have potentially good reduction. We will construct two types of smooth projective surfaces whose reciprocity maps modulo positive integers are not injective. The first type is the case where the kernel of the reciprocity map is not divisible. The second is the case where the kernel of the reciprocity map is divisible, but where nevertheless the reciprocity map modulo some integer is not injective.     

Nonparametric estimation of the local Hurst function of multifractional Gaussian processes

A new nonparametric estimator of the local Hurst function of a multifractional Gaussian process based on the increment ratio (IR) statistic is defined. In a general frame, the point-wise and uniform weak and strong consistency and a multidimensional central limit theorem for this estimator are established. Similar results are obtained for a refinement of the generalized quadratic variations (QV) estimator. The example of the multifractional Brownian motion is studied in detail. A simulation study is included showing that the IR-estimator is more accurate than the QV-estimator.     

The Brauer-Manin obstruction for sections of the fundamental group

We introduce the notion of a Brauer-Manin obstruction for sections of the fundamental group extension and establish Grothendieck’s section conjecture for an open subset of the Reichardt-Lind curve.     

On theorems of Beurling and Cowling-Price for certain nilpotent Lie groups

Let G be a connected simply connected nilpotent Lie group. In [A. Baklouti, N. Ben Salah, The Lp−Lq version of Hardy's Theorem on nilpotent Lie groups, Forum Math. 18 (2006) 245-262], we proved for 2?p,q?+∞ the Lp−Lq version of Hardy's Theorem known as the Cowling-Price Theorem. In the setup where 1?p,q?+∞, the problem is still unsolved and the upshot is known only for few cases. We prove in this paper such a result in the context of 2-NPC nilpotent Lie groups. A proof of the analogue of Beurling's Theorem is also provided in the same context.     

A local-global principle for the telescope conjecture

We prove an étale local-global principle for the telescope conjecture and use it to show that the telescope conjecture holds for derived categories of Azumaya algebras on noetherian schemes as well as for many classifying stacks and gerbes. This specializes to give another proof of the fact that the telescope conjecture holds for noetherian schemes.     

The Farahat-Higman ring of wreath products and Hilbert schemes

We study the structure constants of the class algebra of the wreath products Γ_n associated to an arbitrary finite group Γ with respect to the basis of conjugacy classes. We show that a suitable filtration on gives rise to the graded ring with non-negative integer structure constants independent of n (some of which are computed), which are then encoded in a Farahat-Higman ring . The real conjugacy classes of Γ come to play a distinguished role and are treated in detail in the case when Γ is a subgroup of . The above results provide new insight to the cohomology rings of Hilbert schemes of points on a quasi-projective surface X.     

A lower bound for the canonical height on elliptic curves over abelian extensions

Let E/K be an elliptic curve defined over a number field, let ? be the canonical height on E, and let K^ab/K be the maximal abelian extension of K. Extending work of M. Baker (IMRN 29 (2003) 1571-1582), we prove that there is a constant C(E/K)>0 so that every nontorsion point P∈E(K^ab) satisfies .     

Periods of orbits modulo primes

Let S be a monoid of endomorphisms of a quasiprojective variety V defined over a global field K. We prove a lower bound for the size of the reduction modulo places of K of the orbit of any point α∈V(K) under the action of the endomorphisms from S. We also prove a similar result in the context of Drinfeld modules. Our results may be considered as dynamical variants of Artin's primitive root conjecture.     

Continuous crystal and Duistermaat-Heckman measure for Coxeter groups

We introduce a notion of continuous crystal analogous, for general Coxeter groups, to the combinatorial crystals introduced by Kashiwara in representation theory of Lie algebras. We explore their main properties in the case of finite Coxeter groups, where we use a generalization of the Littelmann path model to show the existence of the crystals. We introduce a remarkable measure, analogous to the Duistermaat-Heckman measure, which we interpret in terms of Brownian motion. We also show that the Littelmann path operators can be derived from simple considerations on Sturm-Liouville equations.     

Universal space in the Cartesian product of Peano curves without free arcs

We prove that there is the universal space for the class of n-dimensional separable metric spaces in the Cartesian product K₁×?×Kn+1 of Peano curves without free arcs. It is also shown that the set of embeddings of any n-dimensional separable metric space X into this universal space is a residual set in C(X,K₁×?×Kn+1). Other properties of product of Peano curves without free arcs are also proved.     

Pesenti-Szpiro inequality for optimal elliptic curves

We study Pesenti-Szpiro inequality in the case of elliptic curves over F_q(t) which occur as subvarieties of Jacobian varieties of Drinfeld modular curves. In general, we obtain an upper-bound on the degrees of minimal discriminants of such elliptic curves in terms of the degrees of their conductors and q. In the special case when the level is prime, we bound the degrees of discriminants only in terms of the degrees of conductors. As a preliminary step in the proof of this latter result we generalize a construction (due to Gekeler and Reversat) of 1-dimensional optimal quotients of Drinfeld Jacobians.     

Failure of the Hasse principle for Enriques surfaces

We construct an Enriques surface X over Q with empty étale-Brauer set (and hence no rational points) for which there is no algebraic Brauer–Manin obstruction to the Hasse principle. In addition, if there is a transcendental obstruction on X, then we obtain a K3 surface that has a transcendental obstruction to the Hasse principle.