Toward the structure of fibered fundamental groups of projective varieties (Q2011993)

Let \(f : X \rightarrow Y\) be a smooth projective family of connected projective varieties \(X_y = f^{-1} (y)\), \(y \in Y\) with a fixed projective embedding and a smooth quasi-projective base \(Y\). Then there is a representation \(\rho : \pi _1 (Y) \rightarrow \text{Out} ^{+} \pi _1 ( X_y)\) in the outer automorphisms of the fundamental group \(\pi _1 ( X_y)\) of a fibre \(X_y = f^{-1} (y)\), preserving the orientation. For any normal subgroup \(H \triangleleft \pi _1 (X_y)\) of finite index, the subgroup \( \text{Stab} _{\text{Aut} \pi _1 (X_y)} (H) := \{ \alpha \in \text{Aut} \pi _1 (X_y) \, | \, \alpha H = H \} \) is of finite index in \(\text{Aut} \pi _1 (X_y)\) and acts on the \({\mathbb Q}\)-vector space \(H^{\text{ab}} _{\mathbb Q} := H^{\text{ab}} \otimes _{\mathbb Z} {\mathbb Q}\), generated by the abelianization \(H^{\text{ab}} := H / [ H, H]\) of \(H\). The corresponding partial representation of \(\text{Aut} \pi _1 ( X_y)\) factors through \(\rho : \pi _1 (Y) \rightarrow \text{Out} ^{+} \pi _1 (X_y)\) and the induced partial representation of \(\text{Out} ^{+} \pi _1 (X_y)\) is denoted by \(\tau ^H\). Moreover, \(\tau ^H\) is a partial representation of \(G = \pi _1 (X) /H\) and there is a decomposition \(H^{\text{ab}} _{\mathbb Q} = \bigoplus _{\chi} ( H^{\text{ab}} _{\mathbb Q} ) ^{\chi}\) into a direct sum of the isotypic components \((H^{\text{ab}} _{\mathbb Q} ) ^{\chi}\), which are the sums of the irreducible \(G\)-sub-representations of \(H^{\text{ab}} _{\mathbb Q}\), isomorphic to the irreducible \(G\)-representation \(\chi\). These are representations of the subgroup \( \bigcap _{\gamma \in \pi _1 (X)} \;\;\gamma \text{Stab} _{\text{Aut} \pi _1 ( X_y)} (H) \gamma ^{-1} \) of finite index in \(\text{Aut} \pi _1 ( X_y)\). The corresponding partial representations of \(\text{Out} ^{+} \pi _1 ( X_y)\) are denoted by \(\tau ^{H, \chi}\). The article under review shows that for any irreducible character \(\chi\) of the finite quotient group \(\pi _1 ( X_y) / H\) the identity component of the Zariski closure of the image of \(\tau ^{H, \chi} \circ \rho\) is a classical non-compact semisimple Lie group \(G\) of Hermitian type, i.e., \(G\) is a classical non-compact semisimple Lie group over \({\mathbb R}\), whose associated Riemannian symmetric space \(G / K\) of non-compact type is Hermitian symmetric. Moreover, the author establishes that with finitely many exceptions, any subgroup \(\Gamma\) of finite index in an arithmetic subgroup of a special Mumford-Tate group of a polarized Hodge structure of type \(\{ (-1,0), (0,-1) \}\) is isomorphic to an image of \(\tau ^H \circ \rho\). For any normal subgroup \(H \triangleleft \pi _1 (X_y)\) of finite index and any \(\gamma \in \pi _1 (Y)\) there is a sufficiently large natural power \(\gamma ^n\) of \(\gamma\), such that \(\rho ( \gamma ^n)\) belongs to the domain of \(\tau ^{H, \chi}\). If \(\gamma \in \pi _1 (Y)\) is a loop around a smooth boundary divisor of a smooth compactification of \(Y\), then \(\tau ^{H, \chi} \rho ( \gamma ^n)\) has to be quasi-unipotent. Let \(D = \sum\limits _i D_i \subset Y\) be a divisor with simple normal crossings, \(\gamma _i\) be a loop around the irreducible component \(D_i\) of \(D\) and \(m_i \in {\mathbb N}\) be a natural number. The orbifold fundamental group \(\pi _1 ^{\text{orb}} \left(Y, \sum\limits _{i} m_i D_i \right)\) is defined as the quotient of \(\pi _1 (Y \setminus D)\) by the normal subgroup, generated by \(\gamma _i ^{m_i}\). If \(f: X \rightarrow Y\) is flat then a previous work of the author established that the induced homomorphism \(\pi _1 (f) : \pi _1 (X) \rightarrow \pi _1 (Y)\) factors through an epimorphism \(\Phi : \pi _1 (X) \rightarrow \pi _1 ^{\text{orb}} \left( Y, \sum\limits _{i} m_i D_i \right)\) and there arises an action \(\rho ^{\text{orb}}: \pi _1 ^{\text{orb}} \left( Y, \sum\limits _{i} m_i D_i \right) \rightarrow \text{Out} ( \ker ( \Phi))\) on the kernel \(\ker ( \Phi)\) of \(\Phi\) by outer automorphisms. For any subgroup \(H < \ker ( \Phi)\) of finite index, let \(\sigma ^H\) be the partial representation of \(\text{Out} ( \ker ( \Phi ))\) on \(H^{\text{ab}} _{\mathbb Q}\). The identity component of the Zariski closure of the image of \(\sigma ^H \circ \rho ^{\text{orb}}\) is shown to be a classical non-compact semisimple Lie group of Hermitian type. In particular, if \(Y = C\) is a smooth projective curve of genus \(g \geq 2\) and \[ \begin{aligned} \pi _1 ^{\text{orb}} & \left( C, \sum\limits _{i=1} ^n m_i p_i \right) = \\ \langle \alpha _i, \beta _j \, | \, & \left( \prod\limits _{i=1} ^g [ \alpha _{2i-1}, \alpha _{2i} ] \right) \left( \prod\limits _{j=1} ^n \beta _j \right) = \beta _1 ^{m_1} = \ldots = \beta _n ^{m_n} =1, \, 1 \leq i \leq 2g, \, 1 \leq j \leq n \rangle \end{aligned} \] then \(H^1 \left( \pi _1 ^{\text{orb}} \left( C, \sum\limits _{i=1} ^n m_i p_i \right), {\mathbb Q} \right)\) is of dimension \(2g\) and \(H^2 \left( \pi _1 ^{\text{orb}} \left( C, \sum\limits _{i=1} ^n m_i p_i \right), {\mathbb Q} \right) \simeq {\mathbb Q}\). Let us suppose that the fundamental group of a compact Kähler manifold \(X\) admits a surjective homomorphism \(\Phi : \pi _1 (X) \rightarrow \pi _1 ^{\text{orb}} \left( C, \sum\limits _{i=1} ^n m_i p_i \right)\) with finitely generated kernel \(\ker ( \Phi)\). The article proves that the space of the \(\pi _1 ^{\text{orb}} \left( C, \sum\limits _{i=1} ^n m_i p_i \right)\)-invariants of the \({\mathbb Q}\)-vector space \(\ker ( \Phi) ^{\text{ab}} \otimes _{\mathbb Z} {\mathbb Q}\), generated by \(\ker ( \Phi) / [ \ker ( \Phi), \ker ( \Phi)]\) is of even dimension. If the fundamental group of a smooth complex projective variety \(X\) admits a surjective homomorphism \(\Phi : \pi _1 (X) \rightarrow \pi _1 ^{\text{orb}} \left( C, \sum\limits _{i=1} ^n m_i p_i \right)\) with a finitely generated kernel \(\ker ( \Phi)\) then for any subgroup \(H < \ker ( \Phi)\) of finite index the identity component of the Zariski closure of the image of \(\sigma ^H \circ \rho ^{\text{orb}}\) follows to be a classical non-compact semisimple Lie group \(G\) of Hermitian type. Moreover, if \(G/K\) has no irreducible factors, which are balls of dimension \(\leq 2\) or Siegel upper half-spaces of genus \(2\), then almost all subgroups \(\Gamma\) of finite index in an arithmetic subgroup \(\Gamma _1\) of a special Mumford-Tate group of a polarized Hodge structure of type \(\{ (-1,0), (0,-1) \}\) is shown to be isomorphic to an image of \(\sigma ^H \circ \rho ^{\text{orb}}\). Certain lattices \(\Gamma\) of \(\text{SL} (2, {\mathbb R})\) also have the aforementioned property. Let \(C\) be a smooth irreducible curve of genus \(g \geq 3\). Then any normal subgroup \(H \triangleleft \pi _1 (C)\) of finite index with quotient group \(G := \pi _1 (C) / H\) corresponds to a finite étale \(G\)-Galois covering \(\widetilde{C} \rightarrow C\). If \(( \text{ }, \text{ } ): H^1 ( \widetilde{C}, {\mathbb Q}) \times H^1 ( \widetilde{C}, {\mathbb Q}) \rightarrow {\mathbb Q}\) is the intersection pairing on \(H^1 ( \widetilde{C}, {\mathbb Q})\) then \(\langle \text{ }, \text{ } \rangle : H^1 ( \widetilde{C}, {\mathbb Q}) \times H^1 ( \widetilde{C}, {\mathbb Q}) \rightarrow {\mathbb Q} [G]\), \(\langle u, v \rangle = \sum\limits _{g \in G} (u, gv) g\) is \({\mathbb Q}[G]\)-valued, sesquilinear form on \(H^1 ( \widetilde{C}, {\mathbb Q})\), which is skew-Hermitian with respect to the involution \(g \mapsto g^{-1}\) and the image of \(\tau ^H \) is contained in the \(\langle \text{ }, \text{ } \rangle\)-Hermitian transformations of \(H^1 ( \widetilde{C}, {\mathbb Q})\). For any class \(\chi\) of an irreducible \({\mathbb Q}[G]\)-submodule of the Grothendieck group, the \(\langle \text{ }, \text{ } \rangle\)-Hermitian automorphisms of \((H^{\text{ab}} _{\mathbb Q}) ^{\chi}\) form an algebraic group \({\mathbb G} _{H, \chi}\) over \({\mathbb Q}\). Let \({\mathbb G}^1 _{H, \chi}\) be the subgroup of the elements of \({\mathbb G}_{H, \chi}\) with reduced norm \(1\). The quotient homomorphism \(r : \pi _1 (C) \rightarrow G = \pi _1 (C) / H\) is redundant if it admits a factorization \(r = r'' \circ r'\) through an epimorphism \(r': \pi _1 (C) \rightarrow {\mathbb F}_g\) onto the free group \({\mathbb F}_g\) with \(g\) generators and an epimorphism \(r'' : {\mathbb F}_g \rightarrow G\), containing a free generator in its kernel. The article shows that if \(r : \pi _1 (C) \rightarrow G\) is redundant then for an arbitrary very general curve \(C\) of genus \(g \geq 3\) and an arbitrary irreducible \({\mathbb Q}[G]\)-representation \(\chi\) the special Mumford-Tate group of the isotypic component \(H^1 ( \widetilde{C}, {\mathbb C}) ^{\chi}\) equals \({\mathbb G} ^1 _{H, \chi}\). As a result, if \(C\) is a curve of genus \(g \geq 3\) and \(H \triangleleft \pi _1 (C)\) is a normal subgroup of finite index, whose quotient \(G = \pi _1 (C) / H\) is generated by less than \(g\) elements then the identity component of the Zariski closure of the image of \(\tau ^H\) is \(\prod\limits _{\chi} {\mathbb G}^1 _{H, \chi}\). The aforementioned results are applied to Kodaira surfaces with a base of genus \(g \geq 3\).