Finite morphisms and Nash multiplicity sequences (Q2031527)

This work studies transversal morphisms and their effect in the set points of highest multiplicity of a variety, inspired by their role in Constructive Resolution of Singularities. Arc spaces and invariants of singularities induced by the Nash multiplicity sequence [\textit{M. Lejeune-Jalabert}, Am. J. Math. 112, No. 4, 525--568 (1990; Zbl 0743.14002)] turn out to give a characterization of the desired property of transversal morphisms in the main result, Theorem 1.1. Given two algebraic varieties over a perfect field, a transversal morphism between them is a finite, dominant morphism that preserves the maximum value of the multiplicity in the following sense: if the generic rank of the morphism \(\beta: X' \longrightarrow X\) is \(r\), and the maximum value that the multiplicity achieves in \(X\) is \(m\), then the maximum value that it achieves in \(X'\) is precisely \(rm\). For non-transversal morphisms \(rm\) is only an upper bound for the multiplicity in \(X'\). Transversality of morphisms is stable under blow ups with regular centers contained in the set of points of maximum multiplicity, as well as under open restrictions and multiplication by an affine line, which is one of the properties of interest here. These types of transformations do not allow the multiplicity to increase, and any sequence of them, ending (at latest) when the multiplicity drops for the first time, is what is called an \(F_m\)-local sequence over \(X\). Strongly transversal morphisms are transversal morphisms \(\beta :X' \longrightarrow X\) that induce a homeomorphism between the (closed) set of points of \(X'\) with multiplicity \(rm\), where \(r\) is again the generic rank of \(\beta \), and the (also closed) set of points of \(X\) with multiplicity \(m\), and for which this property is preserved under \(F_m\)-local sequences. It is possible to represent the set of points of maximum multiplicity of a variety \(X\) by means of a Rees algebra \(\mathcal{G}_X\), in a way such that \(F_m\)-local sequences are also represented by algebraic transformations of this algebra [\textit{O. E. Villamayor}, Adv. Math. 262, 313--369 (2014; Zbl 1295.14015)]. This is highly useful in the context of Resolution of Singularities, where it has been proven that a simplification of the multiplicity can be the central building step for constructing a Resolution in the characteristic zero case: in this approach, \(F_m\)-local sequences are constructed to simplify the multiplicity several times, until a resolution of the singularities is complete. In this context, strongly transversal morphisms of varieties guarantee a strong relation between \(F_m\)-local sequences over \(X\) and \(F_{rm}\)-local sequences over \(X'\): via a strongly transversal morphism, a simplification of the multiplicity of \(X'\) induces a simplification of the multiplicity of \(X\) and vice versa. There is also a relation between the corresponding Rees algebras: a transversal morphism \(\beta: X' \longrightarrow X\) guarantees an extension \(\mathcal{G}_X\subset \mathcal{G}_{X'}\) of the corresponding Rees algebras, and if \(\beta \) is strongly transversal, this extension is finite. This relation is even stronger when the characteristic of the field is zero, as in that case the finiteness of extensions \(\mathcal{G}_X\subset \mathcal{G}_{X'}\) characterizes strong transversality of morphisms [\textit{C. Abad} et al., Math. Nachr. 293, No. 1, 8--38 (2020; Zbl 07197931)]. This work is focused in understanding what the condition of \(\mathcal{G}_X\subset \mathcal{G}_{X'}\) being finite means by itself, as it is not equivalent to \(\beta \) being strongly transversal if the characteristic of the field is positive. A characterization of this finiteness, valid for any perfect field, is found in terms of the persistance of arcs [\textit{A. Bravo} et al., Indiana Univ. Math. J. 69, No. 6, 1933--1973 (2020; Zbl 1475.14026)], centered in the set of higher multiplicity of \(X\) and \(X'\). In particular, the main result is stated for transversal morphisms \(\beta \) of generic rank \(r\), inducing a homeomorphism between the set of points of \(X\) with multiplicity \(m\) and the set of points of \(X'\) of multiplicity \(rm\) (although maybe not strongly transversal, so this condition might not be preserved by \(F_m\)-local sequences). For any such morphism, \(\mathcal{G}_X\subset \mathcal{G}_{X'}\) will be finite if and only if any arc in \(X'\) whose center has multiplicity \(rm\) shares the same persistence as the corresponding arc in \(X\) via the induced morphism of arc spaces \(\beta _{\infty}:\mathcal{L}(X')\longrightarrow \mathcal{L}(X)\). The persistance of an arc gives a measure of how strong is the contact of this arc with the variety at its center, so this result indicates that the finiteness of the extension of Rees algebras induced by a transversal morphism is linked to whether such morphism preserves the contact of arcs centered at points of highest multiplicity.