Congruences for rational points on varieties over finite fields (Q2575649)

This paper proves a relative version of the theorem of \textit{H. Esnault} [Invent. Math. 151, No. 1, 187--191 (2003; Zbl 1092.14010)] which says that if \(X\) is a smooth proper variety over a finite field \(k\) with \(\text{CH}_0(X_{\overline{k(X)}})_{\mathbb{Q}}=\mathbb{Q}\), then \(|X(k)|\equiv 1\,(\text{mod}|k|)\). Let \(f_i: X_i\to Y\), \(i= 1,2\), be proper dominant morphisms of smooth irreducible varieties over a finite field \(k\) and let \(g: X_1\to X_2\) be a dominant morphism over \(Y\). Let \(Z_i\) be the generic fiber of \(f_i\) and let \(Z_{i\overline{k(X_1)}}= Z_i\times_{k(Y)}\overline{k(X_1)}\). The authors show the following result: If \(g_*: \text{CH}_0(Z_{1\overline{k(X_1)}})_{\mathbb{Q}}\to \text{CH}_0(Z_{2\overline{k(X_1)}})_{\mathbb{Q}}\) is an isomorphism, then for all \(y\in Y(k)\) we have \(|f^{-1}_1(y)(k)|\equiv |f^{-2}_2(y)(k)|(\text{mod}|k|)\). In order to deal with non-proper varieties, they introduce the notion of proper correspondences, and replace the use of Bloch's decomposition of diagonal in Esnault's proof by its relative version.