In the thesis [Pe1] it was introduced, studied and applied a general theory of Weierstrass loci for vector bundles on a smooth curve. The results, proofs, background, examples and motivations of this thesis are contained in [Pe2]. We believe that this theory, at least in characteristic 0, is the ‘right’ one. The aim of this paper is to introduce and study an extension of [Pe1] to the case of higher dimensional varieties. At least two possible theories seem to be useful and natural; see the discussion just after Remark 1.1 and Section 4. We strongly prefer the ‘symmetric’ one (see Definition 1.5). In the first section we introduce the general theory and give the main general results. In the second section we study in details the case of $P^2$ for three reasons: it is nice; it shows how to use the general theory and what could be expected in more general situations and (last but not least) to convince the reader that it is technically easier and often more interesting to work in the ‘symmetric’ set up. Then in the third section we apply the method of Section 2 to a much more general situation (essentially, any variety $X$ as base of the vector bundle). In the fourth section we give the set up and start the analysis of specific examples of what happens near a specific point $P$ of the base variety $X$ (even when $X$ is singular at $P$). Here, except at the first step we are able to work only with the ‘symmetric’ definition.

We correct an error in our paper ‘Connected components of affine Deligne–Lusztig varieties in mixed characteristic’.

We single out a large class of groups ${\rm {\boldsymbol {\mathscr {M}}}}$ for which the following unique prime factorization result holds: if $\Gamma _1,\ldots,\Gamma _n\in {\rm {\boldsymbol {\mathscr {M}}}}$ and $\Gamma _1\times \cdots \times \Gamma _n$ is measure equivalent to a product $\Lambda _1\times \cdots \times \Lambda _m$ of infinite icc groups, then $n \ge m$, and if $n = m$, then, after permutation of the indices, $\Gamma _i$ is measure equivalent to $\Lambda _i$, for all $1\leq i\leq n$. This provides an analogue of Monod and Shalom's theorem [Orbit equivalence rigidity and bounded cohomology, Ann. of Math. 164 (2006), 825–878] for groups that belong to ${\rm {\boldsymbol {\mathscr {M}}}}$. Class ${\rm {\boldsymbol {\mathscr {M}}}}$ is constructed using groups whose von Neumann algebras admit an s-malleable deformation in the sense of Sorin Popa and it contains all icc non-amenable groups $\Gamma$ for which either (i) $\Gamma$ is an arbitrary wreath product group with amenable base or (ii) $\Gamma$ admits an unbounded 1-cocycle into its left regular representation. Consequently, we derive several orbit equivalence rigidity results for actions of product groups that belong to ${\rm {\boldsymbol {\mathscr {M}}}}$. Finally, for groups $\Gamma$ satisfying condition (ii), we show that all embeddings of group von Neumann algebras of non-amenable inner amenable groups into $L(\Gamma )$ are ‘rigid’. In particular, we provide an alternative solution to a question of Popa that was recently answered by Ding, Kunnawalkam Elayavalli, and Peterson [Properly Proximal von Neumann Algebras, Preprint (2022), arXiv:2204.00517].

Investigating a conjecture of Zannier, we study irreducible subvarieties of abelian schemes that dominate the base and contain a Zariski dense set of torsion points that lie on pairwise isogenous fibers. If everything is defined over the algebraic numbers and the abelian scheme has maximal variation, we prove that the geometric generic fiber of such a subvariety is a union of torsion cosets. We go on to prove fully or partially explicit versions of this result in fibered powers of the Legendre family of elliptic curves. Finally, we apply a recent result of Galateau and Martínez to obtain uniform bounds on the number of maximal torsion cosets in the Manin–Mumford problem across a given isogeny class. For the proofs, we adapt the strategy, due to Lang, Serre, Tate, and Hindry, of using Galois automorphisms that act on the torsion as homotheties to the family setting.

For an extension R [rarrhk] A of commutative Noetherian rings the behavior of the associated morphism of topological spaces Spec A → Spec R is often measured by its behavior on each of its fibers. Specifically, one studies the ’splitting‘ (or ’branching‘) and the ’ramification‘ that occurs in each fiber. In the classical constructions of faithfully flat analytic extensions (e.g., completion or Henselization) of excellent local rings the splitting and ramification properties are fairly well understood; see EGA IV [6, 18.10], Nagata [13, Sect. 37] or Raynaud [15, Ch. IX]. The strongest results are usually achieved for fibers over a ’normal point‘ of Spec R, that is, over p ∈ Spec R such that R/p is a normal domain [e.g., the property of a normal prime p in a local ring to be ’unibranched‘, i.e., the Henselization of R/p is a (normal) domain].

Let $p\gt 2$ be prime, and let $F$ be a totally real field in which $p$ is unramified. We give a sufficient criterion for a $\mathrm{mod} \hspace{0.167em} p$ Galois representation to arise from a $\mathrm{mod} \hspace{0.167em} p$ Hilbert modular form of parallel weight one, by proving a ‘companion forms’ theorem in this case. The techniques used are a mixture of modularity lifting theorems and geometric methods. As an application, we show that Serre’s conjecture for $F$ implies Artin’s conjecture for totally odd two-dimensional representations over $F$.

In this paper, we propose a modified Kudla–Rapoport conjecture for the Krämer model of unitary Rapoport–Zink space at a ramified prime, which is a precise identity relating intersection numbers of special cycles to derivatives of Hermitian local density polynomials. We also introduce the notion of special difference cycles, which has surprisingly simple description. Combining this with induction formulas of Hermitian local density polynomials, we prove the modified Kudla–Rapoport conjecture when $n=3$. Our conjecture, combining with known results at inert and infinite primes, implies the arithmetic Siegel–Weil formula for all non-singular coefficients when the level structure of the corresponding unitary Shimura variety is defined by a self-dual lattice.

Using the Gille–Merkurjev norm principle we compute in a uniform way the image of the degree map for quadrics (Springer’s theorem), for twisted forms of maximal orthogonal Grassmannians (a theorem of Bayer-Fluckiger and Lenstra), and for E6- (a theorem of Rost) and E7-varieties.

We study a Hermitian form $h$ over a quaternion division algebra $Q$ over a field ($h$ is supposed to be alternating if the characteristic of the field is two). For generic $h$ and $Q$, for any integer $i\in [1,\;n/2]$, where $n:=\dim _{Q}h$, we show that the variety of $i$-dimensional (over $Q$) totally isotropic right subspaces of $h$ is $2$-incompressible. The proof is based on a computation of the Chow ring for the classifying space of a certain parabolic subgroup in a split simple adjoint affine algebraic group of type $C_{n}$. As an application, we determine the smallest value of the $J$-invariant of a non-degenerate quadratic form divisible by a $2$-fold Pfister form; we also determine the biggest values of the canonical dimensions of the orthogonal Grassmannians associated to such quadratic forms.

Let $f:X\rightarrow Y$ be a morphism of noetherian schemes, generically smooth and equidimensional of dimension $d, \iota : X^{\prime} \rightarrow X$ a closed embedding such that $f \circ \iota : X^{\prime} \rightarrow Y$ is generically smooth and equidimensional of dimension $d^{\prime}$, and $X^{\prime}, X$ and $Y$ are excellent schemes without embedded components. We exhibit a concrete morphism\[{\rm Res}_{X^{\prime}/X}: {\rm det}\,{\cal N}_{X^{\prime}/X} \otimes_{{\cal O}_{X^{\prime}}} \iota^* \omega^d_{X/Y} \rightarrow \omega^{d^{\prime}}_{X^{\prime}/Y},\] which transforms the integral of $X/Y$ into the integral of$X^{\prime}/Y$. Here ${\cal N}_{X^{\prime}/X}$ denotes the normal sheaf of $X^{\prime}/X$ and$\omega^d_{X/Y}$ resp. $\omega^{d^{\prime}}_{X^{\prime}/Y}$ denotes the sheaf of regular differential forms of $X/Y$ resp. $X^{\prime}/Y$. Using generalized fractions we provide a canonical description of residual complexes and residue pairs of Cohen-Macaulay varieties, and obtain a very explicit description of fundamental classes and their traces.

We show that the only summands of the theta divisor on Jacobians of curves and on intermediate Jacobians of cubic threefolds are the powers of the curve and the Fano surface of lines on the threefold. The proof only uses the decomposition theorem for perverse sheaves, some representation theory and the notion of characteristic cycles.

In this paper we study the family of elliptic curves $E/{{\mathbb {Q}}}$, having good reduction at $2$ and $3$, and whose $j$-invariants are small. Within this set of elliptic curves, we consider the following two subfamilies: first, the set of elliptic curves $E$ such that the quotient $\Delta (E)/C(E)$ of the discriminant divided by the conductor is squarefree; and second, the set of elliptic curves $E$ such that the Szpiro quotient$\beta _E:=\log |\Delta (E)|/\log (C(E))$ is less than $7/4$. Both these families are conjectured to contain a positive proportion of elliptic curves, when ordered by conductor. Our main results determine asymptotics for both these families, when ordered by conductor. Moreover, we prove that the average size of the $2$-Selmer groups of elliptic curves in the first family, again when these curves are ordered by their conductors, is $3$. The key new ingredients necessary for the proofs are ‘uniformity estimates’, namely upper bounds on the number of elliptic curves with bounded height, whose discriminants are divisible by high powers of primes.

Let $\{\Lambda ^\infty _t\}$ be an isotopy of Legendrians (possibly singular) in a unit cosphere bundle $S^*M$ that arise as slices of a singular Legendrian $\Lambda _I^\infty \subset S^*M \times T^*I$. Let $\mathcal {C}_t = Sh(M, \Lambda ^\infty _t)$ be the differential graded derived category of constructible sheaves on $M$ with singular support at infinity contained in $\Lambda ^\infty _t$. We prove that if the isotopy of Legendrians embeds into an isotopy of Liouville hypersurfaces, then the family of categories $\{\mathcal {C}_t\}$ is constant in $t$.

We present a quantitative isolation property of the lifts of properly immersed geodesic planes in the frame bundle of a geometrically finite hyperbolic $3$-manifold. Our estimates are polynomials in the tight areas and Bowen–Margulis–Sullivan densities of geodesic planes, with degree given by the modified critical exponents.

We study the torsion in the Mordell-Weil group of the Jacobian of the Fermat curve of exponent $p$ over the cyclotomic field obtained by adjoining a primitive $p$-th root of 1 to $Q$. We show that for all (except possibly one) proper subfields of this cyclotomic field, the torsion parts of the corresponding Mordell-Weil groups are elementary abelian $p$-groups.

Let k be a local field with residue characteristic p. Let n be a prime-to-p integer. Consider a smooth, irreducible k-curve X. In this article, we study the subgroup of H3(k(X), μn[otimes]2) consisting of classes which are unramified on X. It is known to be isomorphic to H0(XZar, R3π*μn[otimes]2), where π: Xét → XZar is the canonical map. A purely topological description of this group is given, using the Berkovich analytification Xan of X. More precisely, denote by Y a smooth and irreducible Berkovich-analytic k-curve, by Ytop the underlying topological space, by Yét the étale-analytic site and by πan the canonical map Yét → Ytop. Let Δ be the skeleton of Y (it is a closed subset defined by Berkovich which is locally a finite graph). Then we show (th. 42) that H0(Ytop, R3πan*μn[otimes]2) is naturally isomorphic (through sort of a pointwise evaluation of cohomology classes) to the group of harmonic cochains defined on Δ with values in $Bbb Z$/n. Now, if X is a smooth algebraic k-curve the natural map H0(XZar, R3π*μn[otimes]2) → H0(Xantop, R3πan*μn[otimes]2) is shown to be an isomorphism (th. 5.2). It is a new formulation (for the case where X is proper) and a generalization (to open curves) of a result which was due to Kato. Moreover we use here some steps of Kato's proof, but not his whole result. So our method gives, for projective curves, a (partially) new proof of Kato's theorem.

We prove the analogue of the Ax–Lindemann–Weierstrass theorem for not necessarily arithmetic lattices of the automorphism group of the complex unit ball $\mathbb{B}^{n}$ using methods of several complex variables, algebraic geometry and Kähler geometry. Consider a torsion-free lattice $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}\,\subset \,\text{Aut}(\mathbb{B}^{n})$ and the associated uniformization map $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70B}:\mathbb{B}^{n}\rightarrow \mathbb{B}^{n}/\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}=:X_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}}$. Given an algebraic subset $S\,\subset \,\mathbb{B}^{n}$ and writing $Z$ for the Zariski closure of $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70B}(S)$ in $X_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}}$ (which is equipped with a canonical quasi-projective structure), in some precise sense we realize $Z$ as a variety uniruled by images of algebraic subsets under the uniformization map, and study the asymptotic geometry of an irreducible component $\widetilde{Z}$ of $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70B}^{-1}(Z)$ as $\widetilde{Z}$ exits the boundary $\unicode[STIX]{x2202}\mathbb{B}^{n}$ by exploiting the strict pseudoconvexity of $\mathbb{B}^{n}$, culminating in the proof that $\widetilde{Z}\,\subset \,\mathbb{B}^{n}$ is totally geodesic. Our methodology sets the stage for tackling problems in functional transcendence theory for arbitrary lattices of $\text{ Aut}(\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FA})$ for (possibly reducible) bounded symmetric domains $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FA}$.

In this paper, we present a solution to the problem of the analytic classification of germs of plane curves with several irreducible components. Our algebraic approach follows precursive ideas of Oscar Zariski and as a subproduct allows us to recover some particular cases found in the literature.