On the geometry of lattices and finiteness of Picard groups

Let ( K , 𝒪 , k ) {(K,\mathcal{O},k)} be a p-modular system with k algebraically closed and 𝒪 {\mathcal{O}} unramified, and let Λ be an 𝒪 {\mathcal{O}} -order in a separable K-algebra. We call a Λ-lattice L rigid if Ext Λ 1 ⁡ ( L , L ) = 0 {{\operatorname{Ext}}^{1}_{\Lambda}(L,L)=0} , in analogy with the definition of rigid modules over a finite-dimensional algebra. By partitioning the Λ-lattices of a given dimension into “varieties of lattices”, we show that there are only finitely many rigid Λ-lattices L of any given dimension. As a consequence we show that if the first Hochschild cohomology of Λ vanishes, then the Picard group and the outer automorphism group of Λ are finite. In particular, the Picard groups of blocks of finite groups defined over 𝒪 {\mathcal{O}} are always finite.

On reconstructing subvarieties from their periods

We give a new practical method for computing subvarieties of projective hypersurfaces. By computing the periods of a given hypersurface X, we find algebraic cohomology cycles on X. On well picked algebraic cycles, we can then recover the equations of subvarieties of X that realize these cycles. In practice, a bulk of the computations involve transcendental numbers and have to be carried out with floating point numbers. However, if X is defined over algebraic numbers then the coefficients of the equations of subvarieties can be reconstructed as algebraic numbers. A symbolic computation then verifies the results. As an illustration of the method, we compute generators of the Picard groups of some quartic surfaces. A highlight of the method is that the Picard group computations are proved to be correct despite the fact that the Picard numbers of our examples are not extremal.

Frameworks for Two-Dimensional Keller Maps

The classical Jacobian Conjecture asserts that every locally invertible polynomial self-map of the complex affine space is globally invertible. A Keller map is a (hypothetical) counterexample to the Jacobian Conjecture. In dimension two every such map, if exists, leads to a map between the Picard groups of suitable compactifications of the affine plane, that satisfy a complicated set of conditions. This is essentially a combinatorial problem. Several solutions to it ("frameworks") are described in detail. Each framework corresponds to a large system of equations, whose solution would lead to a Keller map.