Log canonical thresholds in positive characteristic (Q1686804)

In this paper, the author studies the singularities of pairs in arbitrary characteristic via jet schemes. The main result is to establish the correspondence between cylinder valuations and divisorial valuations on a smooth variety over a perfect field of arbitrary characteristic. This extends a result of \textit{L. Ein} et al. [Compos. Math. 140, No. 5, 1229--1244 (2004; Zbl 1060.14004)] in characteristic $0$. The author further establishes Mustaţă's log canonical threshold formula in positive characteristic avoiding the use of log resolutions. As a consequence, the author obtains a comparison theorem via reduction modulo $p$ and the inversion of adjunction in positive characteristic. Let $k$ be a perfect field $k$ of arbitrary characteristic. Let $X$ be a smooth integral variety of dimension $n$ over $k$. A divisorial valuation on $k(X)$ is of the form $\nu = q \cdot \operatorname{ord}_E:k(X)^*\rightarrow \mathbb{Z}$ where $E$ is a divisor over $X$ and $q$ is a positive integer number. The log discrepancy of $\nu$ is defined to be $q \cdot (1+ \operatorname{ord}_E (K_{X'/X}))$, where $K_{X'/X}$ is the relative canonical divisor. These numbers determine the log canonical threshold $\operatorname{lct}(X, Y )$ of a pair $(X, Y)$, where $Y$ is a closed subscheme of $X$. Given $m \geq 0$, one defines the $m$th order jet scheme $X_m$ and the space of arcs $X_{\infty}$. A subset $C$ of $X_{\infty}$ is called a cylinder if it is the inverse images of a constructible subset in $X_m$ by the canonical projections $\psi_m : X_{\infty}\rightarrow X_m$. For every closed irreducible nonempty cylinder $C \subset X_{\infty}$ which does not dominate $X$, one defines a cylinder valuation $\operatorname{ord}_C : k(X)^*\rightarrow \mathbb{Z}$ by taking the order of vanishing along the generic point of $C$. It is easy to see that every divisorial valuation is a cylinder valuation. Suppose the subscheme $Y$ is defined by a non-zero ideal sheaf $\mathfrak{a}\subseteq \mathscr{O}_X$. For every $p \geq 0$, the contact locus of order $\geq p$ of $Y$ is the closed cylinder $\mathrm{Cont}^{\geq p}(Y )=\{\gamma\in X_{\infty}\mid \operatorname{ord}_{\gamma}(\mathfrak{a}) \geq p \}$. If $C$ is an irreducible component of $\mathrm{Cont}^{\geq p}(Y)$, then $C$ is a cylinder. In this case, the valuation $\operatorname{ord}_C$ is called a contact valuation. Directly from the definition, the implication among these three valuations can be described as follows $$\text{ contact valuation }\Longrightarrow \text{ cylinder valuation }\Longleftarrow \text{ divisorial valuation}.$$ When the ground field is of characteristic zero, Ein et al. [loc. cit.] showed that these three classes of valuations actually coincide, by showing that: (a) Every contact valuation is a divisorial valuation; (b) Every cylinder valuation is a contact valuation. Through this correspondence, one can relate the codimension of the cylinder to the log discrepancy of the divisorial valuation. This yields a quick proof of Mustaţă's log canonical threshold formula. In this paper, the author shows by induction on the codimension of cylinders and by only using the Change of Variable formula for blow-ups along smooth centers that the correspondence between divisorial valuations and cylinders holds in arbitrary characteristic (Theorem A), i.e., $$\text{ cylinder valuation }\Longleftrightarrow \text{ divisorial valuation}$$ It enables the author to prove the following log canonical threshold formula without using log resolutions (Theorem B) $$\operatorname{lct}(X,Y)=\inf_{C\subset X_{\infty}}\frac{\operatorname{codim} C}{\operatorname{ord}_C(Y)}=\inf_{m\geq 0}\frac{\operatorname{codim}(Y_m,X_m)}{m+1}$$ where $C$ varies over the irreducible closed cylinders which do not dominate $X$.