Frobenius modules and de Jong's theorem (Q2388318)

The purpose of this article is to prove a descent theorem for certain \(F\)-crystals. Let \(k\) be an algebraically closed field of characteristic \(p > 0\), let \(\Omega = W(k)[[t]]\) and define \(\Gamma\) to be the \(p\)-adic completion of \(\Omega[1/t]\). Let \(\sigma\) be a Frobenius on \(\Gamma\) which preserves \(\Omega\). An \(F\)-module over \(\Omega\) is a finite free \(\Omega\)-module \(M\) equipped with an isogeny \(F : \sigma^*M \to M\). The main result of this paper is theorem 1.2 which states that if \(w \in \Gamma \bigotimes_{\Omega} M\) satisfies \(F(w)=p^\ell w\) for some integer \(\ell\), then \(w \in M\). By considering Homs, this amounts to a descent theorem (from \(\Gamma\) to \(\Omega\)) for \(F\)-modules over \(\Omega\). It generalizes a theorem of de Jong who proved the same result, assuming that \(M\) was equipped with a connection and that \(w\) was a horizontal section. In the last section of the paper, the author shows that theorem 1.2 is no longer true if one replaces \(\Omega\) by the ring \(W(k[[t]])\). A key ingredient of the proof of theorem 1.2 is another descent theorem (theorem 3.4), which is quite interesting in its own right: if \(\Gamma_c\) denotes the set of overconvergent elements of \(\Gamma\), then an \(F\)-submodule of \(\Gamma_c \bigotimes_{\Omega} M\) is actually defined over \(\Omega\). The method of proof of both theorems is (very roughly) by extending scalars to various rings of periods where things are easier, and then descending the results to the original rings.