Chow polylogarithms and regulators (Q1902204)

Let \(L\) be a simplex in \(\mathbb{C} P^n\), i.e. a collection of hyperplanes \(L_i\), \(i = 0, \dots, n\), in generic position. Also, let \(H\) be a generic hyperplane. Write \({\mathcal Z}^p_q (L)\) for the variety of all codimension \(q\) effective algebraic cycles in \(\mathbb{C} P^{p + q}\) which intersect properly all faces of \(L\). Intersection with a face \(L_i\) of \(L\) induces a map \(a_i : {\mathcal Z}^q_p (L) \to {\mathcal Z}^q_{p - 1} (L_i)\). Projection with center at the vertex \(l_j\) of \(L\) defines a map \(b_j : {\mathcal Z}^q_p (L) \to {\mathcal Z}_p^{q - 1} (L_j)\). One can associated to \(L\) a canonical \(n\)-form \(\Omega_L\) with logarithmic singularities in \(\mathbb{C} P^n \backslash L\). The main theme of the paper is concerned with the explicit construction of a canonical chain of \((q - p - 1)\)-currents \(\omega^q_p = \omega^q_p (L,H)\) (the \(q\)-th Chow polylogarithm) on \({\mathcal Z}^p_p (L)\). The function \({\mathcal P}_q = \omega^q_{q - 1}\) on \({\mathcal Z}^q_{q - 1} (L)\) is called the Chow polylogarithm function. The \(\omega^q_p\) satisfy three conditions: (i) \(d \omega^q_0 (L,H) = \text{Im} \Omega_L\); (ii) \(d \omega^q_p (L,H) = \sum^{p + q}_{i = 0} (-1)^i a^*_i \omega^q_{p - 1} (L,H_i)\) with \(H_i = H \cap L_i\), and (iii) \(\sum^{p + q + 1}_{j=0} (-1)^j b^*_j \omega^q_p (L,H) = 0\). The \(\omega^q_p (L,H)\) turn out to be the `Radon transform' of an explicit current \(r_{r + p} (L;H)\) in \(\mathbb{C} \mathbb{P}^{p + q}\) over the family of cycles parametrized by \({\mathcal Z}^q_p (L)\). These Chow polylogarithms restricted to the Grassmannian of \(p\)-planes in \(\mathbb{A}^{p + q}\) in generic position with respect to the simplex \(L\) satisfy the conditions for the single-valued Grassmannian polylogarithm whose existence was conjectured by \textit{R. Hain} and \textit{R. MacPherson} [Ill. J. Math. 34, No. 2, 392-475 (1990; Zbl 0737.14014) and \textit{A. Beilinson}, \textit{R. MacPherson} and \textit{V. Schechtman} [Duke Math. J. 54, 679-710 (1987; Zbl 0632.14010)]. The \(r_n\) are actually homomorphisms \(\bigwedge^n \mathbb{C}(X)^* \to S^{n - 1} (\eta_X)\), where \(X\) is some variety over \(\mathbb{C}\) and \(S^m (\eta_X)\) is the space of \(m\)-forms with values in \(i \mathbb{R}\) at the generic point of \(X\). One has \(dr_n (f_1 \wedge f_2 \wedge \cdots \wedge f_n) = \text{Im} ((2 \pi i)^{-n} d \log f_1 \wedge \cdots \wedge d \log f_n)\). The \(r_{2n - 1}\) may be used to define the Grassmannian \(n\)- logarithm function which satisfies nice \(2n + 1\) functional equations. It is conjectured that the general Chow \(n\)-logarithm function can be expressed by the Grassmannian \(n\)-logarithm function. A rather surprising result is that the Grassmannian \(n\)-logarithm function for a suitable plane depending on a parameter \(a\) gives back (up to a factor) the value of Zagier's higher polylogarithm \({\mathfrak L}_n\) at \(a\). Even for the Bloch-Wigner function \((n = 2)\) this leads to a new formula. It may come as no surprise that the new polylogarithms have something to do with Beilinson's regulator. It is shown that by means of the Grassmannian \(n\)-logarithm one can construct a cocycle in Deligne cohomology representing \(c_n \in H^{2n}_{\mathcal D} ((BGL (\mathbb{C})_\bullet\), \(\mathbb{R}(n))\), the universal Chern class. Beilinson's conjectures would imply that special values of \(L\)-functions of varieties over number fields could be expressed in terms of the Grassmannian polylogarithms. In particular an explicit construction of the Borel regulator \(K_{2n - 1} (\mathbb{C}) \to \mathbb{R}\) can be obtained. This means that special values of zeta-functions of number fields can be expressed by means of the Grassmannian polylogarithm function. One can also construct the Abel-Jacobi map for Bloch's higher Chow groups by using the \(r_i (L;H)\). This leads to an explicit regulator map \(\text{CH}^r (X,i) \to H^{2r - i} (X(\mathbb{C})\), \(\mathbb{R} (r)_{\mathcal D})\) at the level of complexes. The paper ends with (a sketch of) the construction of the multivalued analytic version of the Chow polylogarithms.