Noncommutative curves and noncommutative surfaces

In this survey article we describe some geometric results in the theory of noncommutative rings and, more generally, in the theory of abelian categories. Roughly speaking and by analogy with the commutative situation, the category of graded modules modulo torsion over a noncommutative graded ring of quadratic, respectively cubic growth should be thought of as the noncommutative analogue of a projective curve, respectively surface. This intuition has lead to a remarkable number of nontrivial insights and results in noncommutative algebra. Indeed, the problem of classifying noncommutative curves (and noncommutative graded rings of quadratic growth) can be regarded as settled. Despite the fact that no classification of noncommutative surfaces is in sight, a rich body of nontrivial examples and techniques, including blowing up and down, has been developed.Comment: Suggestions by many people (in particular Haynes Miller and Dennis Keeler) have been incorporated. The formulation of some results has been improve

Algebraic models and arithmetic geometry of Teichm\"uller curves in genus two

A Teichm\"uller curve is an algebraic and isometric immersion of an algebraic curve into the moduli space of Riemann surfaces. We give the first explicit algebraic models of Teichm\"uller curves of positive genus. Our methods are based on the study of certain Hilbert modular forms and the use of Ahlfors's variational formula to identify eigenforms for real multiplication on genus two Jacobians. We also present evidence that Teichm\"uller curves admit a rich arithmetic geometry by exhibiting examples with small primes of bad reduction and notable divisors supported at their cusps.Comment: 35 pages, revised version. To appear in IMR