A conjecture of Ax and degenerations of Fano varieties (Q926407)

A field \(k\) is called PAC (pseudo algebraically closed) if every geometrically integral \(k\)-variety has a \(k\)-point and \(C_1\) if every homogeneous polynomial \(f(x_0, \ldots , x_n) \in k[x_0, \ldots , x_n]\) of degree \(\leq n\) has a nontrivial solution over \(k\). \textit{J. Ax} [Ann. Math. (2) 88, 239--271 (1968; Zbl 0195.05701)] conjectured that a perfect PAC field \(k\) is \(C_1\) and proved it in the case that the absolute Galois group of \(k\) is abelian. The paper under review proves the conjecture of Ax in characteristic zero, i.e., that every PAC field \(k\) of characteristic zero is \(C_1\). In fact a more general form of it is proved. Let \(k\) be a field of characteristic zero and \(f_1, \ldots, f_s \in k[x_0, \ldots x_n]\) be homogeneous polynomials such that \(\sum_{i=1}^s \deg f_i \leq n\). Let \( X \subset \mathbb{P}_k^n\) the subscheme defined by \(f_1=\cdots = f_s =0\). Then \(X\) contains a geometrically irreducible \(k\)-subvariety. In order to prove this, first the author represents \(X\) as a special fiber of a family \( f \colon Z \rightarrow \mathbb{P}^1\) such that \(Z\) is a reduced and irreducible projective \(k\)-variety and the general fiber of \(f\) is a smooth and geometrically irreducible complete intersection Fano variety. Then the theorem is a special case of the following more general result. Let \(k\) be a field of characteristic zero, \(C\) a smooth \(k\)-curve, \(Z\) a reduced and irreducible projective \(k\)-variety and \(f \colon Z \rightarrow C\) a morphism such that the general fiber of \(f\) is smooth, geometrically irreducible and Fano. Then for any closed point \(c \in C\), the fiber \(f^{-1}(c)\) contains a \(k(c)\)-subvariety that is geometrically irreducible. The theorem is proved in two steps. First by using resolution of singularities it is reduced to the case when \(Z\) is smooth and all the fibers of \(g\) are simple normal crossings. Then by using a variant of the Kollár-Shokurov Connectedness Theorem it is shown that every fiber contains a geometrically connected and hence geometrically irreducible component. The characteristic zero assumption is crucial. The proof uses resolution of singularities which is not known in positive characteristic (but expected to hold). Moreover, the proof of the Connectedness Theorem is based on the Kawamata-Viehweg vanishing theorem which is false in positive characteristic. However, the author remarks that the Connectedness Theorem may hold in this case too.