On monotonicity of F-blowup sequences (Q2267690)

The \(e\)-th \(F\)-\textit{blowup} of an algebraic variety \(X\) over a field \(k\) of characteristic \(p > 0\) is a variety \(FB_e(X)\) which may be obtained as follows. Let \(F_e:X_e \to X\) be the \(e\)-th iteration of the \(k\)-linear Frobenius morphism. If \(x\) is a regular point of \(X\) then the fibre \(F_e^{-1}(x)\) is a non-reduced point of \(X_e\), of length\( q(e)=e \, {\text{dim}} X\). Thus it corresponds to a point of \(H={\text{Hilb}}_{q(e)}(X_e)\). The closure in \(H\) of the set of such points is \(FB_e(X)\). There is natural projection \(\pi_e:FB_e(X) \to X\), which is birational and projective. Moreover, it is an isomorphism off the set of singular points of \(X\). The blowup morphism \(\pi_e\) has an universal property, involving the sheaf \({{\mathcal O}_{X}}^{1/{p^e}}\). For each natural number \(e\) there is a natural birational map \(\rho _e :FB_{e+1}(X) \to FB_e(X)\). When \(\rho_e\) is a morphism for all \(e\) (i.e., it is a rational map everywhere defined), the sequence of \(F\)-blowups is said to be \textit{monotone}. The main results of this paper are: (1) If \(X\) is \(F\)-pure, i.e., the natural homomorphism of \({\mathcal O}_X\)-modules \({\mathcal O} \to {F_1}_{\ast} ({\mathcal O}_{x_1}) \) locally splits, the sequence of \(F\)-blowups of \(X\) is monotone. (2) A sufficient condition insuring that \(\rho _e\) is defined at a given point \(z \in FB_{e+1}(X)\). (3) When the sequence of \(F\)-blowups is monotone and \textit{bounded} (i.e., they are dominated by a single blowup of \(X\)) then that sequence stabilizes (i.e., \(\rho_e\) is an isomorphism for \(e\) large enough). For toric varieties, more complete results are found. For instance, if \(X\) is the affine toric variety associated to a monoid algebra \(k[A]\) then \(X\) is \(F\)-pure if and only if the ring \(k[A]\) is weakly normal. Some interesting examples, using toric varieties, are included. For instance, there are \(F\)-pure varieties such that, for some \(e\), \(FB_e(X)\) is not \(F\)-pure. Similar examples are given with ``\(F\)-pure'' substituted by ``normal'' or ``weakly normal''. A section contains a review of basic concepts, which were developed by the author in another article.