Parity in Bloch's conductor formula in even dimension (Q2483702)

Let \(X\) be a proper flat regular scheme over a complete discrete valuation ring \({\mathcal O}_k\) with perfect residue field \(F\) such that the generic fiber \(X_K\) is smooth. Let \(\ell\) be a prime number different from the characteristic of \(F\). The Artin conductor \(\text{Art}(X/{\mathcal O}_L)\) of \(X\) is defined to be \(\chi(X_{\overline K})-\chi(X_{\overline F})+\text{Sw}\,H^*(X_{\overline K},\mathbb Q_\ell)\), where \(\chi(\bullet)\) denotes the \(\ell\)-adic Euler number and \(\text{Sw\,}H^*(X_{\overline K},\mathbb Q_\ell)=\sum_q(-1)^q=\text{Sw\,}H^q(X_{\overline K},\mathbb Q_\ell)\) the alternating sum of the Swan conductor of the \(\ell\)-adic representations \(H^q(X_{\overline K},\mathbb Q_\ell)\) of the inertia subgroup \(I=\text{Gal}(\overline K/K^{nr})\). \textit{S. Bloch} [Duke Math. J. 54, 295--308 (1987; Zbl 0632.14018)] defined the self-intersection cycle \((\Delta_X,\Delta_X)_s\) to be a localized Chern class \((-1)^{(n+1)}c_{n+1}{}^X_{X_f}(\Omega^1_{X,{\mathcal O}_K})\in \text{CH}_0(X_F)\) with \(n=\dim X\) and proposed a conjectural formula \(\deg(\Delta_X,\Delta_X)_s =-\text{Art}(X/{\mathcal O}_K)\). In the present paper the author proves that the formula is valid modulo 2 under the assumption that the characteristic of \(K\) is not equal to two, \(n\) is even, and the reduced closed fiber is a divisor of \(X\) with normal crossing. His proof proceeds in three steps. Firstly, he shows \(\deg(\Delta_X,\Delta_X)_s\equiv \text{ord(disc\,} H^n_{\text{dR}} (X_K/K))\pmod2\), where ``disc'' means the discriminant of the symmetric nondegenerate bilinear form induced from the cup-product on the de Rham cohomology \(H^n_{\text{dR}}(X_K/K)\). Secondly he derives the congruence \(\text{ord(disc\,} H^n_{\text{dR}}(X_K/K))\equiv \text{Art(det\,}H^n(X_{\overline K}),\mathbb Q_\ell)\pmod2\) through the relation between the determinant of \(\ell\)-adic étale cohomology and the discriminant of the de Rham cohomology established in [\textit{T. Saito}, J. Algebr. Geom. 3, No.~3, 411--434 (1994; Zbl 0833.14011)]. Lastly, he deduces the congruence \(\text{Art}(\det H^n(X_{\overline K},\mathbb Q_\ell)\equiv \text{Art}(X/{\mathcal O}_K)\pmod 2\) from the computation of vanishing cycles given in [\textit{P. Deligne}, SGA7I, No. 1, Lect. Notes Math. 288, 1--24 (1972; Zbl 0267.14003)], and a theorem of \textit{J.-P. Serre} [Invent. Math. 14, 173--183 (1971; Zbl 0229.13006)] on the parity of Artin conductor of an orthogonal representation.