An upper bound on the Abbes-Saito filtration for finite flat group schemes and applications (Q442421): Difference between revisions

In the paper under review, the author shows that the decreasing Abbes-Saito filtration \((G^a)_{a\in\mathbb{Q}\geq 0}\) of a generically étale finite flat group scheme \(G\) of \(p\)-power order over a complete discrete valuation ring \(\mathcal{O}_K\) of positive residue characteristic \(p\) becomes trivial for \(a>\frac{p}{p-1}\deg G\). As the author explains in the introduction, his bound is optimal if \(G\) is killed by \(p\), and it works both in mixed and in equal positive characteristic. As a corollary, Tian shows that if \(\mathcal{O}_K\) has mixed characteristic as well as a perfect residue field and if \(p\geq 3\), then for each \(n\geq 1\), the level \(p^n\) canonical subgroup of a ``not too supersingular'' \(p\)-divisible group \(\mathcal{G}\) over \(\mathcal{O}_K\) appears in the Abbes-Saito filtration of \(\mathcal{G}[p^n]\). We refer to [\textit{A. Abbes} and \textit{T. Saito}, Am. J. Math. 124, No. 5, 879--920 (2002; Zbl 1084.11064), Doc. Math., J. DMV Extra Vol., 5--72 (2003; Zbl 1127.11349)] for definitions and results regarding the Abbes-Saito filtration. Let us be more precise about the structure and the content of the paper. In the first section, Tian recalls some basic definitions and facts on Abbes-Saito filtrations, and he establishes the desired bound on the Abbes-Saito filtation of a finite flat group scheme \(G\) as above. Using the theory of \(p\)-typical formal groups, Tian first shows that \(G\) admits an embedding \(G\hookrightarrow X\) into an open formal disc \(X\) of some dimension \(d\) such that \(G\) is defined by \(d\) equations which are ``sparse'' in the sense that their monomials have total degrees of the form \(m(p-1)+1\), with \(m\in\mathbb{Z}_{\geq 0}\). Let \(a\) be a rational number bigger than \(\frac{p}{p-1}\deg G\). To prove that \(G^a=1\), one must show that the neutral component \(X_0^a\) of the \(a\)-tubular neighborhood \(X^a\) of \(G\) with respect to the chosen good embedding \(G\subseteq X\) meets \(G\) precisely in the identity section. To this end, Tian establishes an isomorphism between \(X_0^a\) and the \(d\)-dimensional closed \(K\)-disc of radius \(|\pi|^{a-\deg G}\) by restricting the linear automorphism of \(\mathbb{A}^d_K\) that is given by the adjoint of the Jacobi matrix of the chosen embedding \(G\subseteq H\) at the identity section. In the second part of the paper, which is comparatively short, Tian explains how his bound on the Abbes-Saito filtration can be used to show that the canonical subgroup of a ``not too supersingular'' truncated \(p\)-divisible group \(G\) appears in the Abbes-Saito filtration of \(G\). More precisely speaking, under the assumptions listed in the first paragraph of this review, Tian shows that if \(G\) is a truncated \(p\)-divisible group of level \(n\) whose Hodge height \(h(G)\) is smaller than \(1/(3^n)\) for \(p=3\) and smaller than \(1/(2p^{n-1})\) for \(p\geq 5\), then the canonical subgroup of \(G\) coincides with \(G^a\) for any rational number \(a\) satisfying the inequalities \[ \frac{ep(p^n-1)}{(p-1)^2}<a\leq\frac{ep}{p-1}(1-h(G))\;. \] Here the Hodge height \(h(G)\) of \(G\) is the truncated \(p\)-adic valuation of the determinant of Frobenius on \(G\otimes_{\mathcal{O}_K}\mathcal{O}_K/p\), and \(e\) denotes the absolute ramification index of \(\mathcal{O}_K\). By results of \textit{L. Fargues} [Ann. Sci. Éc. Norm. Supér. (4) 44, No. 6, 905--961 (2011; Zbl 1331.14044)], the desired statement holds for \(n=1\). Tian's proof proceeds by induction on \(n\); it uses the author's bound on the Abbes-Saito filtration as well as a result of Fargues on the degree of the quotient of \(G\) by its canonical subgroup [Zbl 1331.14044].