The hyperbolic Ax-Lindemann-Weierstraß conjecture (Q301610)

Let \(X\) and \(S\) be complex algebraic varieties and let \(\pi: X\to S\) be a complex analytic \textit{non-algebraic} morphism between the associated complex analytic spaces. In general, the image \(\pi(Y)\) of a generic algebraic subvariety of \(Y\subset X\) is highly trascendental. An irreducible subvariety \(Y\subset X\) (resp. \(V\subset S\)) is called bi-algebraic if \(\pi(Y)\) is an algebraic subvariety of \(S\) (resp. any analytic irreducible component of \(\pi^{-1}(V)\) is an irreducible algebraic subvariety of \(X\)). Moreover, \(\pi: X\to S\) is said to satisfy the Ax-Lindeman-Weierstrass property if for any algebraic subvariety \(Y\subset X\) the irreducible components of the Zariski-closure \(\overline{\pi(Y)}^{\mathrm{Zar}}\) of the image \(\pi(Y)\) are bi-algebraic. Equivalently, for any algebraic subvariety \(V\subset S\), any irreducible algebraic subvariety \(Y\subset X\) contained in \(\pi^{-1}(V)\) and maximal for this property is bi-algebraic. The main result of this paper is the proof of the Ax-Lindeman-Weierstrass property for the uniformizing map \(\pi: X\to S=\Gamma\backslash X\), where \(X\) denotes a non-compact Hermitian symmetric space and \(\Gamma\) is any arithmetic subgroup of the real adjoint group \(G\) of biholomorphisms of \(X\). It should be pointed pointed out that \(X\) admits a canonical realization as a bounded symmetric domain \({\mathcal D}\) in \({\mathbb C}^n\), with \(n=\dim X\). Then an algebraic subvariety of \(D\) is by definition a finite union of irreducible ones, i.e. irreducible components of \({\mathcal D}\cap \widetilde Y\), for some algebraic subvariety \(\widetilde Y\subset {\mathbb C}^n\). Via the Baily-Borel embedding, the arithmetic variety \(S\) admits a natural structure of quasi projective variety; it was proved in [\textit{E. Ullmo} and \textit{A. Yafaev}, Mathematika 57, No. 2, 263--273 (2011; Zbl 1236.14029)] that the bi-algebraic subvarieties of \(S\) for \(\pi\) are the \textit{weakly special} ones, i.e. the irreducible complex algebraic subvarieties of \(S\) whose smooth locus is totally geodesic in \(S\) endowed with its canonical Hermitian metric. Then a precise formulation of the main result is as follows. Theorem (Hyperbolic Ax-Lindeman-Weierstrass conjecture). Let \(S=\Gamma\backslash {\mathcal D}\) be an arithmetic subvariety with uniformizing map \(\pi: {\mathcal D}\to S\). Let \(Y\subset {\mathcal D}\) be an algebraic subvariety. Then any irreducible component of the Zariski-closure \(\overline{\pi(Y)}^{\mathrm{Zar}}\) of \(\pi(Y)\) is weakly special. Equivalently, Let \(V\) be an algebraic subvariety of \(S\). Irreducible algebraic subvarieties of \({\mathcal D}\) contained in \(\pi^{-1}(V)\) and maximal for this property are precisely the irreducible components of the preimages of maximal weakly special subvarieties contained in \(V\). A motivation for the studying the Ax-Lindeman-Weierstrass conjecture is the Andrè-Oort conjecture, predicting that irreducible subvarieties of \(S\) containing Zariski dense sets of special points are precisely the special subvarieties, without assuming the Generalized Riemann Hypothesis. In this paper, the Andrè-Oort conjecture is obtained as a corollary of the main result in the case of \({\mathcal A}_6^n\), for any integer \(n\geq 0\), where \({\mathcal A}_6\), the moduli space of principally polarized 6-dimensional abelian varieties. The hyperbolic Ax-Lindeman-Weierstrass property was previously proved in the case where \(S\) is a product of modular curves in [\textit{J. Pila}, Ann. Math. (2) 173, No. 3, 1779--1840 (2011; Zbl 1243.14022)], in the case where \(S\) is compact in [\textit{E. Ullmo} and \textit{A. Yafaev}, Duke Math. J. 163, No. 2, 433--463 (2014; Zbl 1375.14096)], and in the case \(S={\mathcal A}_g\), the moduli space of principally polarized abelian varieties of dimension \(g\), in [\textit{J. Pila} and \textit{J. Tsimerman}, Ann. Math. (2) 179, No. 2, 659--681 (2014; Zbl 1305.14020)].