Mordell-Lang in positive characteristic

We give a new proof of the Mordell-Lang conjecture in positive characteristic for finitely generated subgroups. We also make some progress towards the full Mordell-Lang conjecture in positive characteristic

The zero section of the universal semiabelian variety, and the double ramification cycle

We study the Chow ring of the boundary of the partial compactification of the universal family of principally polarized abelian varieties (ppav). We describe the subring generated by divisor classes, and compute the class of the partial compactification of the universal zero section, which turns out to lie in this subring. Our formula extends the results for the zero section of the universal uncompactified family. The partial compactification of the universal family of ppav can be thought of as the first two boundary strata in any toroidal compactification of the moduli space of ppav. Our formula provides a first step in a program to understand the Chow groups of toroidal compactifications of the moduli of ppav, especially of the perfect cone compactification, by induction on genus. By restricting to the locus of Jacobians of curves, our results extend the results of Hain on the double ramification (two-branch-point) cycle.Comment: Section 6, dealing with the Eliashberg problem for moduli of curves, rewritten. A discussion of the extension of the Abel-Jacobi map added, the resulting formula corrected. Final version, to appear in Duke Math.

The Yoneda isomorphism commutes with homology

We show that, for a right exact functor from an abelian category to abelian groups, Yoneda's isomorphism commutes with homology and, hence, with functor derivation. Then we extend this result to semiabelian domains. An interpretation in terms of satellites and higher central extensions follows. As an application, we develop semiabelian (higher) torsion theories and the associated theory of (higher) universal (central) extensions.Comment: Fixed an inaccuracy in (3.6

On Mumford's construction of degenerating abelian varieties

We prove that a 1-dimnl family of abelian varieties with an ample sheaf defining principal polarization can be canonically compactified (after a finite base change) to a projective family with an ample sheaf. We show that the central fiber (P,L), which we call an SQAV, has a canonical Cartier theta divisor. We give a combinatorial definition for SQAVs and describe their geometrical properties, in particular compute cohomologies of L^n, n\ge0.Comment: Final version, to appear in Tohoku Math.

Selmer groups as flat cohomology groups

Given a prime number $p$, Bloch and Kato showed how the $p^\infty$-Selmer group of an abelian variety $A$ over a number field $K$ is determined by the $p$-adic Tate module. In general, the $p^m$-Selmer group $\mathrm{Sel}_{p^m} A$ need not be determined by the mod $p^m$ Galois representation $A[p^m]$; we show, however, that this is the case if $p$ is large enough. More precisely, we exhibit a finite explicit set of rational primes $\Sigma$ depending on $K$ and $A$, such that $\mathrm{Sel}_{p^m} A$ is determined by $A[p^m]$ for all $p \not \in \Sigma$. In the course of the argument we describe the flat cohomology group $H^1_{\mathrm{fppf}}(O_K, \mathcal{A}[p^m])$ of the ring of integers of $K$ with coefficients in the $p^m$-torsion $\mathcal{A}[p^m]$ of the N\'{e}ron model of $A$ by local conditions for $p\not\in \Sigma$, compare them with the local conditions defining $\mathrm{Sel}_{p^m} A$, and prove that $\mathcal{A}[p^m]$ itself is determined by $A[p^m]$ for such $p$. Our method sharpens the known relationship between $\mathrm{Sel}_{p^m} A$ and $H^1_{\mathrm{fppf}}(O_K, \mathcal{A}[p^m])$ and continues to work for other isogenies $\phi$ between abelian varieties over global fields provided that $\mathrm{deg} \phi$ is constrained appropriately. To illustrate it, we exhibit resulting explicit rank predictions for the elliptic curve $11A1$ over certain families of number fields.Comment: 22 pages; final version, to appear in Journal of the Ramanujan Mathematical Societ