Fermat motives and the Artin-Tate formula. I (Q1180772)

For a field \(k\) the \textit{Fermat variety} \(X\) of dimension \(n\) and degree \(m\) over \(k\) is defined as the zero locus in \(\mathbb{P}_ k^{n+1}\) of the polynomial \(T_ 0^ m+T^ m_ 1+\cdots+T^ m_{n+1}\), where it is assumed that \((m,p)=1\) if \(\text{char}(k)=p>0\). The group \(G=(\mu_ m)^{n+2}/(\text{diag})\) acts naturally on \(X_{\bar k}=X\otimes\bar k\). The character group \(\hat G\) of G may be identified with the set \(\left\{{\mathbf a}=(a_ 0,a_ 1,\ldots,a_{n+1})\mid a_ i\in\mathbb{Z}/m,\sum^{n+1}_{i=0}a_ i=0\right\}\). \((\mathbb{Z}/m)^ \times\) acts on \(\hat G\) by componentwise multiplication. Write \(O(\hat G)\) for the set of \((\mathbb{Z}/m)^ \times\)-orbits in \(\hat G\) and let \(\zeta_ m\) be a fixed primitive \(m\)-th root of unity in \(\overline\mathbb{Q}\). For \(A\in O(\hat G)\) and \({\mathbf a}\in\hat G\) one defines \(p_ A={1\over m^{n+1}}\sum_{g\in G}Tr_{\mathbb{Q}(\zeta^ d_ m)/\mathbb{Q}}({\mathbf a}(g)^{-1})g\in\mathbb{Z}\left[{1\over m}\right][G]\), where \(d=\text{gcd}(m,a_ 0,\ldots,a_{n+1})\). Then the \(p_ A\), \(A\in O(\hat G)\), form an orthogonal set of projectors, and one defines the \textit{Fermat submotive} \(M_ A\) (over \(k\)) of \(X\) corresponding to \(A\) as the pair \(M_ A=(X,p_ A)\). Thus \(X=\oplus_ AM_ A\). The \(M_ A\) admit the usual realizations and Chow groups with corresponding cycle maps etc. Assume \(k=\mathbb{F}_ q\) has characteristic \(p>0\). Then one has the notion of \(F\)-crystal \((H^ n(M_ A/W),F)\) with associated slopes and Newton polygon. In particular, \(M_ A\) is said to be supersingular if the Newton polygon has pure slope \(n/2\). Assume \(n=2r\) is even and let \(A\) be the orbit of \({\mathbf a}\) such that all components of \({\mathbf a}\) are non-zero. Write \(P_ A(T)=\prod_ \alpha(1-\alpha T)\) for the characteristic polynomial of the geometric Frobenius \(\Phi\) in dimension \(n\), thus \(P_ A(T)=\text{det}(1-\Phi^*T\mid H^ n(M_{A,\bar k},\mathbb{Q}_ \ell))=\text{det}(1-\Phi^*T\mid H^ n(M_ A/W)_ K)\). Let \(N^ r(X_{\bar k})\) be the free \(\mathbb{Z}\)-module of numerical equivalence classes of algebraic cycles on \(X_{\bar k}\) of codimension \(r\). Then \(N^ r(X_{\bar k})\otimes_ \mathbb{Z}\mathbb{Z}[1/m]\) decomposes as a sum of modules \(N^ r(M_{A,\bar k})\otimes_ \mathbb{Z}\mathbb{Z}[1/m]\). Similarly for the Chow groups \(CH^ r\). -- Consider the following assertions: (i) \(M_ A\) is supersingular. (ii) There is a prime \(\ell\neq p\) such that the \(\ell\)-adic cycle map \(CH^ r(M_{A,\bar k})\otimes_ \mathbb{Z}\mathbb{Q}_ \ell\to H^{2r}(M_{A,\bar k},\mathbb{Q}_ \ell(r))\) is surjective. (iii) For all primes \(\ell\neq p\), the \(\ell\)-adic cycle map \(CH^ r(M_{A,\bar k})\otimes_ \mathbb{Z}\mathbb{Q}_ \ell\to H^{2r}(M_{A,\bar k},\mathbb{Q}_ \ell(r))\) is surjective. (iv) \(N^ r(M_{A,\bar k})\otimes_ \mathbb{Z}\mathbb{Z}[1/m]\neq 0\). (v) \(\alpha/q^ r\) is a root of unity for any \(\alpha\). (vi) \(\alpha/q^ r\) is a root of unity for some \(\alpha\). The following result is announced: One has implications \[ [(\text{i})\Leftrightarrow (\text{v})\Leftrightarrow (\text{vi})]\Longleftarrow [(\text{ii})\Leftrightarrow (\text{iii})\Leftrightarrow (\text{iv})], \] which become all equivalences if the Tate conjecture holds true for \(X\). As corollaries one obtains: (i) For non-supersingular \(M_ A\) the cycle map is zero. (ii) \(\text{rank}(N^ r(X_{\bar k}))\leq 1+\#(A)\), where summation is over all \(A\) such that \(M_ A\) is supersingular. If the Tate conjecture holds true for \(X\), then one has equality. [See also the following review].