On the flatness of local models for the symplectic group. (Q1874463)

This paper studies the bad reduction of a Shimura variety of PEL type associated to a symplectic group. The author considers a model of the Shimura variety over the ring of integers \(\mathcal O_E\), where \(E\) is the completion of the reflex field at a prime of residue characteristic \(p\), and proves that this model is flat and that its special fiber is reduced. The flatness of of this model was conjectured by \textit{M. Rapoport} and \textit{Th. Zink} [Period spaces for \(p\)-divisible groups, Ann. Math. Stud. 141 (1996; Zbl 0873.14039)]. A crucial ingredient in this work is Falting's theorem on the normality of Schubert varieties in the affine flag variety.