A genericity theorem for algebraic stacks and essential dimension of hypersurfaces (Q388760)

Let \(\mathcal{X}\) be an algebraic stack over a field \(k\). The \textit{essential dimension} of a point \(x \in \mathcal{X}(K)\) over a field extension \(K/k\), denoted \(\mathrm{ed}(x)\), is the smallest transcendence degree of an intermediate extension \(K_0/k\) such that \(x\) is defined over \(K_0\), i.e., there exists \(x_0\in \mathcal{X}(K_0)\) with \((x_0)_K \simeq x\). Moreover \(\mathrm{ed}(\mathcal{X})\) is defined as the supremum of \(\mathrm{ed}(x)\), where \(x\) runs over all points over field extensions. This invariant of algebraic stacks has been studied mostly for classifying stacks \(BG\) of algebraic groups \(G\) and its twisted forms (gerbes), but recently, more complicated algebraic stacks have entered the picture. This owes a lot to the work of \textit{P. Brosnan} and the two authors in [J. Eur. Math. Soc. (JEMS) 13, No. 4, 1079--1112 (2011; Zbl 1234.14003)]. They proved the following theorem: For a smooth integral tame Deligne-Mumford stack \(\mathcal{X}\) locally of finite type over a perfect field, \[ \mathrm{ed}(\mathcal{X})=\mathrm{ed}(\mathcal{X}_{\eta})+\mathrm{dim}(\mathcal{X}), \] where \(\mathcal{X}_{\eta}\) is the \textit{generic gerbe} (the residual gerbe over any dominant point of \(\mathcal{X}\)). This reduces the computation of the essential dimension of such stacks to the computation of the essential dimension of gerbes. One of the main results in the paper under review is a generalization of the above theorem, called \textit{genericity theorem}, to a larger class of algebraic stacks (defined over a field \(k\) of characteristic \(0\)), which they call \textit{amenable}. This class contains all quotient stacks \([X/G]\), where \(G\) is a linear algebraic group acting on a smooth integral \(k\)-scheme locally of finite type \(X\), where the stabilizers for points in general position are finite. The genericity theorem then says: For any \(x\in \mathcal{X}(K)\) with reductive automorphism group \(\Aut_K(x)\), \[ \mathrm{ed}(x)\leq \mathrm{ed}(\mathcal{X}_{\eta})+\mathrm{dim}(\mathcal{X})=:\mathrm{ged}(\mathcal{X}), \] where the right hand side stands for the term \textit{generic essential dimension}. In applications points \(x\) with non-reductive stabilizers are treated separatily. Let \(V_{n,d}\) denote the \(k\)-vector space of forms of degree \(d\) in \(n\) variables. The authors apply the genericity theorem to compute the essential dimension of the amenable stack \(\mathcal{Y}_{n,d}:=[\mathbb{A}(V_{n,d})/\mathrm{GL}_n]\) and the stack \(\mathcal{X}_{n,d}:=[\mathbb{P}(V_{n,d})/\mathrm{GL}_n]\). Although \(\mathcal{X}_{n,d}\) is non-amenable, it is closely related to \(\mathcal{Y}_{n,d}\) and the amenable stack \([\mathbb{P}(V_{n,d})/\mathrm{PGL}_n]\). For any field extension \(K/k\), objects of \(\mathcal{Y}_{n,d}(K)\) and \(\mathcal{X}_{n,d}(K)\) correspond to \(n\)-ary forms of degree \(d\) over \(K\) up to linear equivalence and degree \(d\) hypersurfaces in \(\mathbb{P}^{n-1}_K\), respectively, up to linear equivalence. Hence the essential dimension of \(\mathcal{Y}_{n,d}\) and \(\mathcal{X}_{n,d}\) measures the complexity of these objects. The values \(\mathrm{ed}(X_{2,3})=1\) and \(\mathrm{ed}(X_{3,3})=3\) have been computed by \textit{G. Favi} and \textit{G. Berhuy} [J. Algebra 278, No. 1, 199--216 (2004; Zbl 1068.14035)]. The main theorem of the paper under review states that for any \(n\geq 2\) and \(d\geq 3\) with \((n,d)\not\in \{(2,3),(2,4),(3,3)\}\): \[ \mathrm{ed}(\mathcal{Y}_{n,d})=\mathrm{dim}(\mathcal{Y}_{n,d})+\mathrm{cdim}(\mathrm{GL}_n/\mu_d)+1= {n+d-1 \choose d-1} - n^2 + \mathrm{cdim}(\mathrm{GL}_n/\mu_d)+1, \] and \[ \mathrm{ed}(\mathcal{X}_{n,d})=\mathrm{dim}(\mathcal{X}_{n,d})+\mathrm{cdim}(\mathrm{GL}_n/\mu_d)+1= {n+d-1 \choose d-1} - n^2 + \mathrm{cdim}(\mathrm{GL}_n/\mu_d). \] Here \(\mathrm{cdim}(\mathrm{GL}_n/\mu_d)\) denotes the \textit{canonical dimension} of the group \(\mathrm{GL}_n/\mu_d\). It is only known when \(\mathrm{gcd}(n,d)\) is a power of a prime \(p\) or when \(n=6\). See \textit{G. Berhuy} and \textit{Z. Reichstein} [Adv. Math. 198, No. 1, 128--171 (2005; Zbl 1097.11018)] for details. Another application of the genericity theorem is made to compute the essential dimension of the stack \(\mathfrak{M}_{g,n}^{\mathrm{red}}\) of \(n\)-pointed reduced local complete intersection curve of genus \(g\) with reductive automorphism group. This strengthens a result by P. Brosnan and the authors [Zbl 1234.14003], where only finite automorphism groups have been considered.