Sous-variétés de torsion des variétés semi-abéliennes (Q4522150)

Let \(E\) be a semi-abelian variety (extension of an abelian variety by a torus) defined over the field \({\overline{\mathbb Q}}\) of algebraic numbers. Let \(\widehat{h}\) be a normalized height on \(E({\overline{\mathbb Q}})\). A subvariety \(V\) of \(E\) defined over \({\overline{\mathbb Q}}\) is said to satisfy Bogomolov's property if the algebraic points of arbitrary small height on \(V\) are Zariski dense on \(V\). Since torsion points have zero height, a torsion subvariety of \(E\) (i.e{.} a translate of an algebraic subgroup by a torsion point) satisfies Bogomolov's property. The authors show that the converse holds. The original Bogomolov conjecture, dealing with the case where \(E\) is an abelian variety, was solved by E. Ullmo and S. Zhang. Next the case where \(E\) is an isotrivial extension was proved by \textit{A. Chambert-Loir} [Points de petite hauteur sur les variétés semi-abéliennes. Ann. Sci. Ec. Norm. Supér. 33, No. 6, 789-821 (2000; Zbl 1018.11034)], who introduced a normalized height \(\widehat{h}_{0}\) for subvarieties \(V\) of \(E\) by means of intersection theory and showed that \(\widehat{h}_{0}(V)=0\) if and only if \(V\) is torsion. In the general case, Chambert-Loir's height may become negative. Here, the authors introduce a different height \(\widehat{h}\) involving only part of the arithmetic intersection of Chambert-Loir. This enables them to completely solve Bogomolov's problem. For a subvaritey \(V\) of \(E\) defined over \({\overline{\mathbb Q}}\), the following three conditions are equivalent: (i) \(\widehat{h}(V)=0\) (ii) \(V\) is a torsion subvariety of \(E\) (iii) the number \[ \widehat{\mu}_{\text{ess}}(V)=\sup_{Z\subset V}\inf \{\widehat{h}(x)\mid x\in(V\setminus Z)({\overline{\mathbb Q}})\}, \] where \(Z\) ranges over the proper algebraic subsets of \(V\), vanishes. Effective lower bounds of \(\widehat{h}(V)\) when \(V\) is not torsion are given in the special cases where \(E\) is either a torus or an abelian variety. This refines earlier results of the authors in [\textit{S. David} and \textit{P. Philippon}, Minorations des hauteurs normalisées des sous-variétés de variétés abéliennes. Contemp. Math. 210, 333-364 (1998; Zbl 0899.11027); Minorations des hauteurs normalisées des sous-variétés des tores. Ann. Sc. Norm. Super. Pisa, Cl. Sci., IV. Ser. 28, No. 3, 489-543 (1999; Zbl 1002.11055)].