Zero cycles on homogeneous varieties

In this paper we study the group $A_0(X)$ of zero dimensional cycles of degree 0 modulo rational equivalence on a projective homogeneous algebraic variety $X$. To do this we translate rational equivalence of 0-cycles on a projective variety into R-equivalence on symmetric powers of the variety. For certain homogeneous varieties, we then relate these symmetric powers to moduli spaces of \'etale subalgebras of central simple algebras which we construct. This allows us to show $A_0(X) = 0$ for certain classes of homogeneous varieties, extending previous results of Swan / Karpenko, of Merkurjev, and of Panin.Comment: Significant revisions made to simplify exposition, also includes results for symplectic involution varieties. Main arguments now rely on Hilbert schemes of points and are valid with only mild characteristic assumptions. 32 page

Period and index, symbol lengths, and generic splittings in Galois cohomology

We use constructions of versal cohomology classes based on a new notion of "presentable functors," to describe a relationship between the problems of bounding symbol length in cohomology and of finding the minimal degree of a splitting field. The constructions involved are then also used to describe generic splitting varieties for degree 2 cohomology with coefficients in a commutative algebraic group of multiplicative type.Comment: 17 page

Motives of unitary and orthogonal homogeneous varieties

Grothendieck-Chow motives of quadric hypersurfaces have provided many insights into the theory of quadratic forms. Subsequently, the landscape of motives of more general projective homogeneous varieties has begun to emerge. In particular, there have been many results which relate the motive of a one homogeneous variety to motives of other simpler or smaller ones. In this paper, we exhibit a relationship between motives of two homogeneous varieties by producing a natural rational map between them which becomes a projective bundle morphism after being resolved. This allows one to use formulas for projective bundles and blowing up to relate the motives of the two varieties. We believe that in the future this ideas could be used to discover more relationships between other types of homogeneous varieties.Comment: 5 page

Corestrictions of algebras and splitting fields

Given a field $F$, an \'etale extension $L/F$ and an Azumaya algebra $A/L$, one knows that there are extensions $E/F$ such that $A \otimes_F E$ is a split algebra over $L \otimes_F E$. In this paper we bound the degree of a minimal splitting field of this type from above and show that our bound is sharp in certain situations, even in the case where $L/F$ is a split extension. This gives in particular a number of generalizations of the classical fact that when the tensor product of two quaternion algebras is not a division algebra, the two quaternion algebras must share a common quadratic splitting field. In another direction, our constructions combined with results of Karpenko also show that for any odd prime number $p$, the generic algebra of index $p^n$, and exponent $p$ cannot be expressed nontrivially as the corestriction of an algebra over any extension field if $n < p^2$.Comment: 13 page