On reduction of moduli schemes of abelian varieties with definite quaternion multiplications (Q2073605)

Let \(p>2\) be a prime number. In this paper the author studies the special fibre at \(p\) of certain moduli spaces of abelian varieties with additional structures (namely of PEL type D), particularly in the case when \(p\) ramifies in the defining datum. In view of this, part of the paper is dedicated to the classification of the isogeny classes of \(p\)-divisible groups over an algebraically closed field of characteristic \(p\), endowed with a local version of the additional structures. Explicit conclusions about the moduli spaces under consideration are reached in the case of minimal dimension. To be precise, let \(F\) be a totally real field with ring of integers \(\mathcal{O}_F\), let \(B\) be a totally definite quaternion algebra over \(F\) with canonical involution \(*\), and let \(\mathcal{O}_B\subseteq B\) be a \(*\)-stable \(\mathcal{O}_F\)-order which is maximal at \(p\). For any integer \(m\ge1\), let then \(\mathcal{M}\) be the coarse moduli scheme over \(\mathbb{Z}_{(p)}\) classifying \(2[F\colon\mathbb{Q}_p]m\)-dimensional polarised abelian schemes, endowed with a faithful \(\mathcal{O}_B\)-action which is compatible with the polarisation and which exchanges \(*\) with the Rosati involution. The \(\mathbb{C}\)-valued points of this space form a disjoint union of locally symmetric Hermitian spaces, a subset of which corresponds to a usual Shimura variety. The author also considers the subspace \(\mathcal{M}^{(p)}\) of objects with prime-to-\(p\) polarisation, as well as the subspace \(\mathcal{M}_K\), where a ``determinant condition'' is imposed. Let us denote the geometric special fibre of these spaces with the subscript \(\bar{\mathbb{F}}_p\). The main theorem is that if \(m=1\) and \(F=\mathbb{Q}\), then: \begin{itemize} \item[1.] if \(p\) is unramified in \(B\), then \(\dim\mathcal{M}_{\bar{\mathbb{F}}_p}=0\); \item[2.] if \(p\) is ramified in \(B\), then \(\dim\mathcal{M}_{\bar{\mathbb{F}}_p}=1\); \item[3.] we have \(\dim\mathcal{M}_{\bar{\mathbb{F}}_p}^{(p)}=0\); \item[4.] if \(p\) is ramified in \(B\), then \(\dim\mathcal{M}_{K,\bar{\mathbb{F}}_p}=1\). \end{itemize} In addition, thanks to an analysis of the corresponding Rapoport-Zink local model, part \((3)\) can be upgraded to the result, for general \(F\), that \(\mathcal{M}^{(p)}\) is flat over \(\mathbb{Z}_{(p)}\) with every connected component projective of relative dimension \(0\). However, a consideration on the dimensions shows that \(\mathcal{M}\) and \(\mathcal{M}_K\) are not flat if \(p\) is ramified in \(B\). The author also observes that in the ramified case the determinant condition is not automatic, i.e.\ \(\mathcal{M}_K\subsetneq\mathcal{M}\) (unlike in the Hilbert-Siegel setting). The main external inputs to the proof of these results are, on the one hand, the construction of families of objects over \(\mathbb{P}^1\) following \textit{L. Moret-Bailly} [Astérisque 86, 109--124 (1981; Zbl 0515.14006)]. On the other hand, a finite map to the moduli space of polarised abelian varieties allows to reduce some questions to the work of \textit{P. Norman} and \textit{F. Oort} [Ann. Math. (2) 112, 413--439 (1980; Zbl 0483.14010)]. As for the classification of isogeny classes of \(p\)-divisible groups, which is carried out for general \(m\ge1\), Dieudonné theory allows the author to perform this through elementary algebraic methods. A criterion for the nonemptiness of the \(\mu\)-ordinary locus is obtained on the way (cf.\ Corollary 7.5).