The essential dimension of a \(g\)-dimensional complex abelian variety is \(2g\) (Q2463778): Difference between revisions

Let \(k\) be an algebraically closed field with \(\text{char} k=0\). Let \(F\) be a functor from the category of field extensions of \(k\) to the category of sets. The essential dimension of an object \(a \in F(K)\), denoted by \(\text{ed}_k(a)\), is \(\leq m\) if there is a subfield \(K_0 \to K\) such that \(\text{trdeg}_k(K_0) =m\) and \(a\) lies in the image of the map \(F(K_0) \to F(K)\); the essential dimension \(\text{ed}_k(F)\) is defined as \(\text{ed}_k(F)=\sup\{\text{ed}_k(a) : a \in F(K) \}\) where \(K\) runs over all field extensions of \(k\) [see \textit{G. Berhuy} and \textit{G. Favi}, Doc. Math., J. DMV 8, 279--330 (2003; Zbl 1101.14324); \textit{J. Buhler} and \textit{Z. Reichstein}, Compos. Math. 106, No. 2, 159--179 (1997; Zbl 0905.12003); \textit{Z. Reichstein}, Transform. Groups 5, No. 3, 265--304 (2000; Zbl 0981.20033)]. In the article under review, the author considers \(\text{ed}_k (A)\) where \(A\) is an abelian variety of dimension \(g\) over \(k\) (regarded as an algebraic group) and the associated functor is defined as \(F(K)=H^1(K, A)\). The purpose is to prove that \(\text{ed}_k(A)=2g\). Using the fact that \(H^1(K, A)= \bigcup H^1(K, A)[n]\) where \(n\) runs over positive integers, it can be shown that \(\text{ed}_k (A) \leq 2g\). It remains to construct an object \(a \in H^1(K, A)\) for some field extension \(K\) with \(\text{ed}_k(a)=2g\). To achieve this goal, a comparison lemma for the map \(F(K, G_1) \to F(K, G_2)\) is established where \(G_1 \to G_2\) is an inclusion of algebraic groups over \(k\); see Proposition 2.10 for details.