Test ideals via a single alteration and discreteness and rationality of \(F\)-jumping numbers (Q2391595)

Multiplier ideals have played an important role in recent developments in the Minimal Model Program in characteristic zero. Test ideals are the analogues of multiplier ideals in positive characteristic, and it is important to establish which of the properties of multiplier ideals transfer to this setting. If \((X,\Delta)\) is an effective \(\mathbb Q\)-Gorenstein pair in characteristic zero, the multiplier ideal \(\mathcal J(X,\Delta)\) is calculated on a resolution of \((X,\Delta)\), and one of the basic properties is that this calculation does not depend on the choice of the resolution. The analogue for test ideals \(\tau(X,\Delta)\) in positive characteristic (for a high enough alteration) was shown in [\textit{M.~Blickle, K.~Schwede} and \textit{K.~Tucker}, ``F-singularities via alterations'', \url{arXiv:1107.3807}]. For various applications, it is useful to find a single alteration which works for all \(\tau(X,\Delta+\lambda D)\), where \(D\) is an effective Cartier divisor and \(\lambda\geq0\); any log resolution of \((X,\Delta+D)\) will do in characteristic zero. The main result of the paper under review shows that such an alteration can be found in characteristic \(p>0\), see Theorem 4.1 for the precise statement. Along the way, the authors generalise the main result of [\textit{M.\ Blickle, K.\ Schwede, S.\ Takagi} and \textit{W.\ Zhang}, Math. Ann. 347, No. 4, 917--949 (2010; Zbl 1198.13007)], by proving discreteness and rationality of \(F\)-jumping numbers of \(\tau(X,\Delta+\lambda D)\) for \(\lambda\geq0\), regardless of the index of the divisor \(K_X+\Delta\).