Relations between some invariants of algebraic varieties in positive characteristic (Q1945110)

The authors explain the definitions, various interpretations and the several relations between three numerical invariants of smooth proper schemes \(X\) of dimension \(n\geq 0\) over algebraically closed fields \(k\) of positive characteristics \(p>0\). The invariants in question are called a-number, b-number and h-number. Most results are only meaningful under suitable assumptions, for example that the Hodge-de Rham and the conjugate spectral sequence degenerates. The a-number is defined as maximal \(0\leq i\leq n\) so that the image of the Frobenius map on the top de Rham cohomology \(H^n_{\mathrm{dR}}(X)\) intersects the \(i\)-th step of the Hodge filtration. The b-number is defined as the supremum of the dimension of the top cohomology \(H^n(X,B_i)\), \(i\geq 1\) of the Illusie sheaves \(B_i\), where \(B_1\subset\Omega_X^1\) are the exact differentials, and the higher \(B_i\) are defined inductively with the help of the Cartier operator. Finally, the h-number is the height of the Artin--Mazur formal Lie group \(\Phi_X\) in top degree, whenever this is indeed prorepresentable by a formal Lie group. The main results are as follows: If the b-number is finite, then \(b(X)\leq h^{1,n-1}(X)\), and the a-number is \(a(X)=0,1\). If the Artin--Mazur functor is prorepresentable by a formal Lie group, then \(h(X)=b(X)+h^{0,n}(X)\). Furthermore, the authors compute the a-number for the Fermat surface \(X_m\subset\mathbb{P}^3\) of degree \(m\geq 4\) prime to \(p\). The value depends on the congruence class of \(p\) in the unit group \((\mathbb{Z}/m\mathbb{Z})^\times\), and one has \(a=0\) when \(p\equiv 1\), and \(a=1\) if \(p\equiv 2^{\pm 1}\), and \(a=2\) in all other cases. The argument relies on a comparison of cohomology for Fermat surfaces and Fermat curves.