Topology and arithmetic of resultants. I. (Q323940)

Let \(\text{Poly}_n^{d,m}\) be the \(\mathbb Z\)-scheme parameterizing \(m\)-tuples of monic polynomials (in one variable) of degree \(d\) and such that they have no common root of multiplicity \(\geq n\). In particular, if \(n>d\) then \(\text{Poly}_n^{d,m}\) is isomorphic to the affine space \({\mathbb A}^{dm}\). Let \({\mathcal M}_{0,m} ({\mathbb P}^n , d)\) be the moduli space of \(m\)-pointed, degree \(d\) rational curves in \({\mathbb P}^n\). This is also a \(\mathbb Z\)-scheme. The main aim of the paper under review is to compute the classes corresponding to these two types of varieties in the Grothendieck ring \(K_0(\text{Var}_K)\) of \(K\)-varieties. The authors prove also comparison theorems between suitable compactly supported étale cohomology groups and compactly supported singular cohomology groups, and compute the weights of these \(\ell\)-adic cohomology groups for the above varieties.