Geometry of integers revisited (Q2108971)

\noindent Let \({\mathbf C}\) be the field of complex numbers and let \(V\) be a complex projective variety. Let \(\mathcal{A}_V\) be the Serre \(C^*\)-algebra associated to \(V\). If \(K \subset\mathbf{C}\) is a number field with ring of integers \(O_K\), then, under a certain condition, we can associate to \(O_K\) a \(C^*\)-algebra \(\mathcal{A}_{O_K}\). In general \(\mathcal{A}_{O_K}\) is no longer a Serre \(C^*\)-algebra, however, changing the base from \(K\) to \(\mathbf{C}\), the tensor product \(\mathcal{A}_{O_K}\otimes\mathcal{K}\) is isomorphic to a Serre \(C^*\)-algebra where \(\mathcal{K}\) is the \(C^*\)-algebra of compact operators. Definition 1.1. The complex projective variety \(V\) will be called an \textit{avatar} of the ring \(O_K\), if there exists a \(C^*\)-algebra homomorphism \[ h:\mathcal{A}_V\rightarrow\mathcal{A}_{O_K}\otimes\mathcal{K}. \] The main result of the paper under review is the following theorem. Theorem 1.3. Let \(\mathbf{Z}\) be the ring of rational integers and let \(O_K\) be the ring of algebraic integers of a number field \(K\). Then: \begin{itemize} \item[(i)] the Riemann sphere \(\mathbf{C}P^1\) is an avatar of the ring \(\mathbf{Z}\); \item[(ii)] there exists a Riemann surface \(\mathcal{R}=\mathcal{R}(K)\), such that \(\mathcal{R}\) is an avatar of the ring \(O_K\); \item[(iii)] the inclusion \(\mathbf{Z}\subset O_K\) defines a covering \(\mathcal{R}\rightarrow\mathbf{C}P^1\) ramified over the points \(\{0,1,\infty \}\). \end{itemize} As an application of Theorem 1.3 the author gives a new proof of the following theorem. Theorem 4.1. (Belyi's Theorem) A complete non-singular algebraic curve over \(\mathbf{C}\) can be defined over an algebraic number field if and only if such a curve is a covering of the Riemann sphere \(\mathbf{C}P^1\) ramified over three points.