Rationality of motivic Chow series modulo \(\mathbb A^1\)-homotopy (Q438167)

Let \({\mathcal C}={\mathcal M}_{\text{rat}}(k)\) be the category of Chow motives over a field \(k\) which is supposed to be algebraically closed and of characteristic 0. Objects in \({\mathcal D}\) are triples \((X,p,n)\) where \(X\) is a smooth projective variety over \(k\) of dimension \(d\), \(p\in \mathrm{CH}^d(X\times X)\) an idempotent correspondence and \(n\in\mathbb{Z}\), \({\mathcal C}\) is an additive, tensor pseudo-abelian category with unit element \(\mathbf{1}= (\text{Spec\,}k, \text{id},0)\). Define \(K({\mathcal C})\) to be the ring generated by the objects of \({\mathcal C}\) under the relations \[ \begin{aligned} & [h(X)]= [h(Y)]\text{ if }X\simeq Y,\\ & [h(X)\oplus h(Y)]- [h(X)]- [h(Y)]= 0,\\ & [h(X)\otimes h(Y)]- [h(X)]\cdot [h(Y)]= 0,\\ & [\mathbf{1}]- 1= 0.\end{aligned} \] Let \(X\) be a smooth projective variety over \(k\) such that its motive \(h(X)\in{\mathcal C}\) is finite-dimensional. \textit{Y. André} proved in [Astérisque 299, 115--145, Exp. No. 929 (2005; Zbl 1080.14010)] that the formal power series \(\sum[\text{Sym}^dX] t^d\) is rational, in the ring of formal power series with coefficients in the \(K\)-ring of Chow motives \(K({\mathcal C})\). Since the motive of a curve is finite-dimensional Andre's result can be viewed as a generalization of a result of Kapranov who proved that, for a curve \(X\), the series \(\sum[\text{Sym}^dX] t^d\) is a rational function in the ring of formal power series with coefficients in the \(K\)-ring of algebraic varieties. In this paper the authors consider the \(K\)-ring \(K({\mathcal C})_{\mathbb{A}^1}\) of Chow motives modulo \(\mathbb{A}^1\)-homotopy. This is obtained by identifying the motive of \(X\times\mathbb{A}^1\) with the motive of \(X\), which is equivalent to identify \((X,p,n)\) with \((X,p,m)\) for all \(m,n\in\mathbb{Z}\). The motivic Chow series \(MC_p(X)\) is the formal power series \(\sum[C_{p,d}(X)] t^d\) in \(K({\mathcal C})_{\mathbb{A}^1}[[t]]\). Here \(C_{p,d}(X)\) is the Chow variety of \(X\), which parametrizes the effective \(p\)-cycles on \(X\) of degree \(d\). Here the authors prove that, if \(\text{Pic}(X)\times\text{Pic}(Y)= \text{Pic}(X\times Y)\) , then \(MC_{n-1}(X)\cdot MC_{m-1}(Y)= MC_{n+m-1}(X\times Y)\). Therefore, if \(X\) and \(Y\) are curves, then \(MC_0(X)\) and \(MC_0(Y)\) are rational, by the results of Kapranov, so that \(MC_1(X\times Y)\) is rational. The motivic Chow series of a toric variety is also rational.