Model theory of special subvarieties and Schanuel-type conjectures (Q2630831)

In this paper, the author first reviews known results about quasiminimal pregeometries, combining results by Bays, Hart, Hyttinen, Kesaala, Kirby, Pillay and the author. Recall that a \textit{quasiminimal pregeometry} is a structure \(M\) together with an automorphism-invariant closure operator cl satisfying exchange, such that {\parindent=0.7cm\begin{itemize}\item[--] the closure of a finite set is countable, \item[--] \(M\) is infinite-dimensional with respect to cl, \item[--] for any countable \(X\) there is a unique (generic) type over \(X\) in \(M\setminus \mathrm{cl}(X)\), \item[--] \(M\) is \(\aleph_0\)-homogeneous over closed subsets. \end{itemize}} Then any quasiminimal pregeometry is an uncountably categorical excellent abstract elementary class. Examples of such classes are:{\parindent=0.7cm \begin{itemize}\item[--] the Zilber field \(\mathbb F_{\exp}\); \item[--] the two-sorted structure \(\langle\mathbb G_a(\mathbb C), \exp,\mathbb C\rangle\), where \(\exp\) is complex exponentiation; \item[--] the two-sorted structure \(\langle\mathbb G_a(\mathbb C), \exp,\mathbb E(\mathbb C)\rangle\), where \(\mathbb E\) is an elliptic curve without complex multiplication over a number field, and exp is the homomorphism given by the Weierstrass function and its derivative; \item[--] the two-sorted structure \(\langle\mathbb C^g_{\mathcal O}), \exp,\mathbb A(\mathbb C)\rangle\), where \(\mathbb A\) is a \(g\)-dimensional abelian variety over a number field \(k\) with endomorphism ring \(\mathcal O\), all \(\sigma\in\mathcal O\) are defined over \(k\), \(\mathbb C^g_{\mathcal O}\) is the \(\mathcal O\)-module structure on \(\mathbb C^g\), and \(\exp\) is the natural homomorphism \(\mathbb C^g\to\mathbb A(\mathbb C)\). \end{itemize}} In the main part of the paper, the author explores the notion of (weakly) special subvariety. We consider a (Zariski) open \(\mathbb U\subseteq\mathbb C^m\) with a group \(\Gamma\) of biholomorphic transformations, a smooth complex algebraic variety \(\mathbb X\) and an analytic surjection \(p:\mathbb U\to\mathbb X\) whose fibres are the orbits of \(\Gamma\) and discrete, a semi-algebraic fundamental domain \(\mathbb F\subseteq\mathbb U\) such that for all \(\gamma\in\Gamma\) the map \(x\mapsto \gamma\cdot x\) on \(\bar{\mathbb F}\) and the translate \(\mathbb F_\gamma:=\gamma\cdot\mathbb F\) are semi-algebraic, \(\mathbb F^\circ\cap\mathbb F_\gamma^\circ=\emptyset\) for all \(\gamma\not=1\), \(\mathbb U=\bigcup_\gamma\mathbb F_\gamma\), and \(\{\gamma:\bar{\mathbb F}\cap\bar{\mathbb F}_\gamma\not=\emptyset\}\) is finite. This includes all arithmetic varieties, and in particular Shimura varieties. A Zariski closed irreducible subset \(S\) of \(\mathbb X^n\) is \textit{weakly special} if \(p^{-1}(S)\cap\mathbb F^n\) is semi-algebraic. If \(S\) is weakly special, an analytic set \(\check{S}\subseteq\mathbb U^n\) is \textit{weakly co-special associated to \(S\)} if \(\check{S}=p^{-1}(S)\cap Z\) for some Zariski closed and irreducible \(Z\) with \(\dim_{\mathbb C} Z=\dim_{\mathbb C} p^{-1}(S)=\dim_{\mathbb C}(p^{-1}(S)\cap Z)\). Then{\parindent=0.7cm\begin{itemize}\item[--] \(\mathbb X\) with the structure induced by all weakly special subsets is a saturated Noetherian Zariski structure with quantifier elimination, and the non-modular simple weakly special subsets are algebraic curves; \item[--] \(\mathbb U\) with the structure induced by the weakly co-special subsets is an analytic Zariski structure, and the non-modular simple weakly co-special subsets have (complex) dimension \(1\). \end{itemize}} The paper finishes with some conjectures about the restricted class of \textit{special} subsets.