Elliptic polylogarithms in \(K\)-theory (Q1817428)

This article can be considered as an appendix to \textit{A. Beilinson} and the author [Proc. Symp. Pure Math. 55, Pt. 2, 123-190 (1994; Zbl 0817.14014)]. There, a general theory of elliptic polylogarithms is given. Here, exact formulas for motivic elliptic polylogarithms, i.e., involving higher algebraic \(K\)-theory, are presented. Let \(B\) be a connected scheme and consider an elliptic curve \(p:X\to B\) over \(B\), i.e., a flat family \(X\to B\) of relative dimension one with geometrical fibers of genus one, and a zero section \(0:B\to X\). Write \(U =X \backslash 0(B)\), \(p_U:U\to B\) for the restriction of \(p\) to \(U\), and \(j_U:U \hookrightarrow X\) for the open embedding. Also, let \(i_0:0(B) \hookrightarrow X\) be the closed embedding. \(p_1: U\times_BU\backslash \Delta\to U\) (where \(\Delta\) is the (relative) diagonal) is the projection on the first factor. \({\mathcal H}\) will denote the Hodge \((\ell\)-adic, motivic,\dots) sheaf \(R^1p_* (\mathbb{Q}(1))\) on \(B\). It can be considered as the sheaf of relative homologies. \(G^{ (1)}\) will denote the sheaf \(R^1p_{1*} (\mathbb{Q}(1))\) on \(U\). It can be extended to a sheaf, also denoted \(G^{(1)}\), on \(X\). One has a short exact sequence \[ 0\to p^*{\mathcal H}\to G^{(1)}\to \mathbb{Q} \to 0 \] on \(X\), which splits over \(0(B)\). \(G^{(1)}\) comes equipped with a weight filtration, an action of \(\mathbb{Q}\) and a unipotent action of \({\mathcal H}\). \({\mathcal H}\) can be considered as the (abelian) fundamental group of \(X/B\). Write \(G^{(n)}\) for the symmetric product \(S^n (G^{(1)})= \text{Sym}^n(G^{(1)})\). The weight filtration on \(G^{(1)}\) induces one on \(G^{ (n)}\). Also, an element \(\ell\in{\mathcal H}\) acts as the exponential \(\exp(\ell)\) on \(G^{(n)}\). One defines the logarithmic sheaf \(G=\varprojlim(G^{(n)})\). It has a weight filtration with successive quotients \(Gr^W_{-i} (G)=W_{-i}/W_{-i-1}(G)\) equal to \(S^i(p^*{\mathcal H})\), \(i\geq 0\). The fundamental group \({\mathcal H}\) acts again on \(G\) by multiplication with the exponential. Let \(X^{(n)}= X\times_B\times \cdots \times_BX\) be the (relative) \(n\)-th power of \(X\). On \(X^{(n)}\) one can define a set of divisors \(D_i^{(n)}\), \(i=1, \dots,n+1\), and \(\Delta^{(n)}_{i,j}\), \(i,j=1,2, \dots, n+1\), \(i\neq j\). One defines \(U_0^{(n+1)}= X^{(n+1)} \left\backslash \bigcup^{n+1}_{i=1} D_i^{(n+1)} \right.\). Then there is a natural map \(\Sigma= \Sigma^{(n+1)}: U_0^{(n+1)} \to U\). Of particular importance are the varieties \(Y^{(n)}=U \times_BU_0^{(n+1)}\) with projection \(\pi: Y^{(n)} \to U\) defined by \(p_U\times \Sigma:U \times_BU_0^{(n+1)} \to B\times_BU =U\). The elliptic polylogarithm \({\mathcal P}\) is defined as the extension \[ 0\to j^*_UG(1) \to{\mathcal P} \to p^*_U {\mathcal H} \to 0 \] determined by the map (cf. loc. cit.) \({\mathcal H} \to I= R^1p_{U*} (j^*_UG(1))\), where \(I\) is the augmentation ideal of the sheaf of symmetric algebras \(\sum S^j ({\mathcal H})\) of \({\mathcal H}\). Letting \({\mathcal P}_n= {\mathcal P}/W_{-n-3} ({\mathcal P})\) one has a short exact sequence \[ 0\to j^*_U G^{(n)} (1)\to {\mathcal P}_n \to p^*_U {\mathcal H}\to 0. \] Using \(R^{n+1} \pi_*(\mathbb{Q}(n+1)) =p^*_U {\mathcal H} \otimes j^*_U G^{(n)}\), a spectral sequence argument leads to the existence of a canonical map \(\alpha_n\): \(\text{Ext}^{n+2}_{Y^{(n)}} (\mathbb{Q},\mathbb{Q} (n+1))\to \text{Ext}^1_U (\mathbb{Q}, R^{n+1} \pi_*(\mathbb{Q} (n+1)))\). Let \({\mathcal P}^{(n)}\in \text{Ext}^1_U (p^*_U {\mathcal H} ,j^*_U G^{(n)} (1))= \text{Ext}^1_U (\mathbb{Q},p^*_U {\mathcal H} \otimes j^*_U G^{(n)})= \text{Ext}^1_U (\mathbb{Q}, R^{n+1} \pi_*(\mathbb{Q} (n+1)))\) be the element corresponding to \({\mathcal P}_n\). Then an element \({\mathcal P}_{\mathcal M}^{(n)} \in K_n(Y^{(n)})\) is constructed such that \(\alpha_n (r({\mathcal P}_{\mathcal M}^{(n)})) = {\mathcal P}^{(n)}\), where \(r\) is the regulator map from \(K\)-theory to the group of extensions \(\text{Ext}^*(\mathbb{Q}, \mathbb{Q}(*))\). In agreement with Beilinson's conjectures, the \({\mathcal P}^{(n)}_{\mathcal M}\) come from pairs \((Z_q^{(n)}, S_q^{(n)})\) of divisors \(Z^{(n)}_q\) on \(Y^{ (n)}\) together with elements \(S_q^{(n)}\) of Milnor's \(K_{n,\mathbb{Q}}\)-groups. This program is realized for \(B=\text{Spec}(k)\), \(k\) a field. First, using Tate's normal form of the curve \(X \to \text{Spec}(k)\), \(n\)-th order elliptic Vandermonde functions \(W_n\) on \(X^{(n)}\) are constructed as well as their \(i\)-th partial derivatives \(W_{n;i}'\). The divisors of \(W_n\) and \(W_{n;i}'\) can be expressed in terms of the \(D_i^{(n)}\) and the \(\Delta_{i,j}^{(n)}\). One also defines functions \(F_i^{(n)}= W_{n;i}'/W_n\), \(i=1,2, \dots,n\), and \(F_{n+1}^{(n)} =(W_n)^{-2} \prod^n_{i=1} F_i^{(n)}\). For \(k=\mathbb{C}\) the \(W\)'s and the \(F\)'s can be expressed in terms of theta functions. With the \(F\)'s one defines ``roots of functions'' \(\Phi_i^{(n)} =F_i^{(n+1)} \Delta^{-(n+3)/12}\), where \(\Delta\) is the discriminant of \(X\). Besides, one explicitly constructs divisors \(Z_i^{(n)}\), \(i=1,2, \dots, n+2\), on \(Y^{(n)}\). The \(\Phi\)'s define elements of the \(K_{ 1,\mathbb{Q}}\) of the generic point of \(Z_i^{(n)}\). Again, using the \(\Phi\)'s, one constructs explicit symbols \(S_i^{(n)}\) on the \(Z_i^{(n)}\). Let \({\mathcal P}_{\mathcal M}^{(n)} =(Z_i^{(n)}\), \(S_i^{(n) })\). Then the \({\mathcal P}^{(n)}_{\mathcal M}\) have nice properties and, most importantly, their image in \(\text{Ext}^1_U (\mathbb{Q}, R^{n+1} \pi_*(\mathbb{Q} (n+1)))\) is equal to the elliptic polylogarithm \({\mathcal P}^{(n)}\).