Quasi-unipotent motives and motivic nearby sheaves (Q2236438)

Let \(k\) be an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero and let \(X\) be a smooth algebraic variety over \(k\), let \(f:X\to A^1_{k}\) be an algebraic morphism to the affine line. Let \(X_{\sigma}\) be the fiber over \(0\), and let \(X_\eta\) be its complement in \(X\). Denef and Loeser introduced in [\textit{J. Denef} and \textit{F. Loeser}, J. Algebr. Geom. 7, No. 3, 505--537 (1998; Zbl 0943.14010)] the \textit{motivic nearby cycles} \(\psi_f\), which is an element of \(K_0^{\hat\mu}(\mathrm{Var}_{X_{\sigma}})\), where \(K_0^{\hat\mu}(\mathrm{Var}_{X_{\sigma}})\) is a monodromic version of the usual Grothendieck ring of varieties over \(X_{\sigma}\). Independently, \textit{J. Ayoub} defined in [Les six opérations de Grothendieck et le formalisme des cycles évanescents dans le monde motivique. II. Paris: Société Mathématique de France (2007; Zbl 1153.14001)] a \textit{nearby motivic sheaf} \(\Psi_f(\mathbf{1}_{X_{\eta}})\in \mathrm{SH}_{\mathfrak{M}}(X_{\sigma})\), where \(\mathrm{SH}_{\mathfrak{M}}(X_{\sigma})\) is the category of motivic sheaves which appears as \(\mathrm{SH}_{\mathfrak{M}}^T(X_{\sigma})\) in Définition 4.5.21 of the previous reference (here, \(T\) is a projective replacement of the presheaf \(\frac{\mathrm{G}_{m,X_{\sigma}}\otimes \mathbf{1}}{1_{X_{\sigma}}\otimes\mathbf{1}}\)). Together with Ayoub, the authors of this paper showed in [\textit{J. Ayoub} et al., Ann. Sci. Éc. Norm. Supér. (4) 50, No. 6, 1335--1382 (2017; Zbl 1403.14014)] that both of these constructions are related through the formula \[ [\Psi_f(\mathbf{1}_{X_{\eta}})]=\chi_{X_{\sigma},\mathrm c}(\psi_f)\in K_0(\mathrm{SH}_{\mathfrak{M},\mathrm{ct}}(X_{\sigma})), \tag{1} \] where \(\chi_{X_{\sigma},c}:K_0(\mathrm{Var}_{X_{\sigma}})\to K_0(\mathrm{SH}_{\mathfrak{M},\mathrm{ct}}(X_{\sigma}))\) is the motivic Euler characteristic defined by motives of compact support of \(X_\sigma\)-varieties, which is a ring morphism. However, the formula (1) does not take into account the monodromy action. In this paper, the authors define the category \(\mathrm{QUSH}_{\mathfrak M}(S)\) of quasi-unipotent motives over a scheme \(S\) and prove that Ayoub's \(\Psi_f(\mathbf{1}_{X_{\eta}})\) can be canonically lifted to an element \(\Psi_f^{\mathrm{mon}}(\mathbf{1}_{X_{\eta}})\in\mathrm{QUSH}_{\mathfrak M}(X_{\sigma})\), yielding a monodromic version of \(\Psi_f(\mathbf{1}_{X_{\eta}})\). Moreover, the authors construct a monodromic version of the motivic Euler characteristic. Namely, for every \(k\)-variety \(S\), they construct a ring morphism \[ \chi_{S,c}^{\hat \mu}:K_0^{\hat\mu}(\mathrm{Var}_{S})\to K_0(\mathrm{QUSH}_{\mathfrak M,\mathrm{ct}}(S)) \] which is induced by the motivic Euler characteristic \(\chi_{S\times\mathrm{G}_m,\mathrm{c}}\). This allows them to prove the following monodromic version of formula (1): \[ [\Psi_f^{\mathrm{mon}}(\mathbf{1}_{X_{\eta}})]=\chi_{X_{\sigma}c}^{\hat \mu}(\psi_f)\in K_0(\mathrm{QUSH}_{\mathfrak M,\mathrm{ct}}(X_{\sigma})). \]