Around rationality of cycles (Q352703)

Let \(F\) be a field of characteristic different from 2 and let \(\bar{F}\) be a fixed algebraic closure of \(F\). Let \(Y\) be a smooth quasi-projective \(F\)-scheme. Write \(\mathrm{CH}(Y)=\bigoplus_{d\geq 0}\mathrm{CH}^d(Y)\) for the (integral) Chow group of \(Y\) and \(\mathrm{Ch}(Y)\) for \(\mathrm{CH}(Y)\otimes(\mathbb{Z}/2\mathbb{Z})\). For any geometrically integral \(F\)-variety \(X\), an element of \(\mathrm{Ch}(Y_{\bar{F}})\) is said to be \(F(X)\)-rational if its image in \(\mathrm{Ch}(Y_{\bar{F}(X)})\) lies in the image of the canonical map \(\mathrm{Ch}(Y_{F(X)})\to \mathrm{Ch}(Y_{\bar{F}(X)})\). In particular, an element of \(\mathrm{Ch}(Y_{\bar{F}})\) is \(F\)-rational if it belongs to the image of \(\mathrm{Ch}(Y)\to \mathrm{Ch}(Y_{\bar{F}})\). Let \(Q\) be a smooth projective quadric over \(F\). \textit{A. Vishik} [Manuscr. Math. 122, No. 3, 365--374 (2007; Zbl 1154.14003)] proved in characteristic 0 that if a cycle \(y\in \mathrm{Ch}^m(Y_{\bar F})\) is \(F(Q)\)-rational, then for any integer \(j>m-\frac{1}{2}\dim Q\), the cycle \(S^j(y)\in \mathrm{Ch}^{m+j}(Y)\) is \(F\)-rational, where \(S^j\) denotes the \(j\)-th Steenrod operation of cohomological type. Vishik's proof requires to work over fields of characteristic 0 because tools from the algebraic cobordism theory have been used in an essential way. \textit{N. A. Karpenko} [Cent. Eur. J. Math. 11, No. 6, 1056--1067 (2013; Zbl 1300.14008)] has proven for \(j=0\) a weak version of Vishik's result in arbitrary characteristic \(\neq 2\), by replacing the use of algebraic cobordism theory with that of Steenrod operations on modulo 2 Chow groups. The paper under review is a continuation of Karpenko's work and extends Karpenko's result to the case of an arbitrary \(j>m-\frac{1}{2}\dim Q\). The main results of the present paper assert that the following statements hold in any characteristic \(\neq 2\): (1) If \(m<j+\frac{1}{2}\dim Q\), then for any \(F(Q)\)-rational element \(y\in \mathrm{Ch}^m(Y_{\bar F})\), \(S^j(y)\) is the sum of an \(F\)-rational element and the class modulo 2 of a 2-torsion element of \(\mathrm{CH}(Y_{\bar F})\). (2) If \(m=j+[\frac{1+\dim Q}{2}]\), then for any \(F(Q)\)-rational element \(y\in \mathrm{Ch}^m(Y_{\bar F})\), there exists an \(F\)-rational element \(z\in \mathrm{Ch}^j(Y_{\bar F})\) such that \(S^j(y)+y.z\) is the sum of an \(F\)-rational element and the class modulo 2 of a 2-torsion element of \(\mathrm{CH}(Y_{\bar F})\).