Indecomposable elements in \(K_1\) of a smooth projective variety (Q1284146)

Let \(X\) be a smooth projective variety over \({\mathbb C}\) of dimension \(d\). On \(X\) one has the Zariski sheaves \(\mathcal K_i\) associated to the algebraic \(K\)-theory of \(X\). In the underlying paper one is interested in the cup product map \[ \gamma:H^0(X,\mathcal K_1)\otimes H^1(X,\mathcal K_1)\rightarrow H^1(X,\mathcal K_2) \] coming from the (cup-)product structure on the \(\mathcal K_i\). In particular, the elements in \(\text{coker}(\gamma)_{\mathbb Q}\) are of interest. They are called indecomposable elements. For \(U\subset X\) Zariski open one has exact sequences relating Deligne-Beilinson cohomology \(H^{\bullet}_{\mathcal D}(U,{\mathbb Z}(*))\) to singular cohomology \(H^{\bullet}(U,{\mathbb C})\) equipped with its Hodge filtration \(F^.H^{\bullet}(U)\). These exact sequences may be sheafified. The corresponding sheaves will be written \(\mathcal H^{\bullet}_{\mathcal D}({\mathbb Z}(*))\), \(\mathcal H^{\bullet}({\mathbb C})\) and \(\mathcal F^.\mathcal H^{\bullet}\), respectively. One defines, for \(U\subset X\) Zariski open, the integral part \(F^{rq}_{\mathbb Z}(U)\) of \(F^rH^q(U)\) by \[ F^{rq}_{\mathbb Z}(U):=\text{ker}\left\{F^rH^q(U,{\mathbb C})\buildrel\lambda\over\longrightarrow H^q(U,{\mathbb C}/{\mathbb Z}(r))\right\}, \] where the map \(\lambda\) occurs in the above mentioned exact sequences. Again, one writes \(\mathcal F^{rq}_{\mathbb Z}\) for the sheafification of \(F^{rq}_{\mathbb Z}(U)\). One may consider \(\mathcal F^{11}_{\mathbb Z}\wedge\mathcal F^{11}_{\mathbb Z}\) as a subsheaf of \(\mathcal F^{22}_{\mathbb Z}\). The resulting quotient sheaf is written \(\mathcal F^{22}_{\text{ind}}\). The following result, originally due to \textit{H. Esnault}, is proven: For \(X\) as above, one has an exact sequence \[ 0\rightarrow H^0(X,\mathcal F^{22}_{\text{ind}})\rightarrow\text{coker}(\gamma)\rightarrow H^1(X,\mathcal F^{22}_{\mathbb Z})\rightarrow 0. \] Furthermore, \(H^1(X,\mathcal F^{22}_{\mathbb Z})\) can be expressed as the image of the regulator map \[ c_{2,1}:H^1(X,\mathcal K_2)\rightarrow H^3_{\mathcal D}(X,{\mathbb Z}(2)), \] more precisely, \(H^1(X,\mathcal F^{22}_{\mathbb Z})=\text{im}(\widetilde{c}_{2,1})\), where \(\widetilde{c}_{2,1}\) is the composition of \(c_{2,1}\) and the projection to the quotient \(H^3_{\mathcal D}(X,{\mathbb Z}(2))/(NS(X)\otimes{\mathbb C}^ {\times})\), where \(NS(X)\) is the Néron-Severi group of \(X\). As corollaries one finds a partial answer to a conjecture of \textit{C. Voisin}: (i) The group \(H^1(X,\mathcal F^{22}_{\mathbb Z})\) is countable; (ii) if \(H^0(X,\mathcal F^{22}_{\mathbb Z})\) is countable, then \(\text{coker}(\gamma)\) is countable. Specializing to the case of a surface \(X\), write \(T(X)\) for the kernel of the Albanese map. It is known that Deligne-Beilinson cohomology satisfies the axioms of a Bloch-Ogus theory, thus a fortiori there is a coniveau spectral sequence which leads to the following exact sequence \[ 0\rightarrow H^1(X,\mathcal H^2_{\mathcal D}({\mathbb Z}(2)))\rightarrow H^3_{\mathcal D}(X,{\mathbb Z}(2))\buildrel\delta_2\over\longrightarrow H^0(X,\mathcal H^3_{\mathcal D}({\mathbb Z}(2)))\rightarrow T(X)\rightarrow 0. \] The following result is shown: \(\delta_2=0\), in particular \(H^0(X,\mathcal H^3_{\mathcal D}({\mathbb Z}(2)))=T(X)\) if and only if the geometric genus \(p_g(X)=0\).