Modulus of a rational map into a commutative algebraic group (Q1958475)

This paper defines the \textit{modulus} of a rational map \(\phi:X\rightarrow G\), where \(X\) is a normal algebraic variety, and \(G\) a commutative algebraic group. This definition provides a higher-dimensional generalization of the modulus for curves as presented in [\textit{J. P. Serre}, Groupes algébriques et corps de classes, Publ. Inst. Math. Univ. Nancago 7. Paris: Hermann (1959; Zbl 0097.35604)]. Thus, this theory has applications to geometric class field theory; see [\textit{H. Russell}, ``Albanese varieties with modulus over a perfect field'', \url{arXiv:0902.2533}]. The authors focus on positive characteristic in the present paper, having dealt with the characteristic zero case in their earlier paper [``Albanese varieties with modulus and Hodge theory'', \url{arXiv:0906.0047}]. In section 3, the modulus of the rational map \(\phi:X\rightarrow G\) is defined as an effective divisor on \(X\) by means of a filtration on Witt vectors. The main tool is the structure theorem for commutative algebraic groups over an algebraically closed field, and the key step (Theorem 3.3) is to show that the proposed definition of the modulus is independent of the choice of an embedding of the unipotent part of \(G\) into a finite direct sum of Witt vector groups. The final sections of the paper study the relation between the modulus and local symbols for higher-dimensional local fields, as well as the behavior of the modulus under field extensions.