The projectors of the decomposition theorem are motivated (Q499861)

The authors continue their interesting investigations centered around the decomposition theorem of \textit{V. K. Murty} [Prog. Math. 26, 195--205 (1982; Zbl 0526.14011)]. They consider here the intersection cohomology groups \(I\!H^k(X)\) of a quasi projective variety \(X\) over an algebraically closed field \(K\) of finite transcendence over \(\mathbb Q\) and define for them a notion of absolute Hodge classes, which is an extension to this setting of Deligne's classical definition. Given a projective map \(f: X \to Y \) of quasi projective varieties, the decomposition theorem yields a complete system of orthogonal projectors on \(I\!H(X)\), in fact there are four different systems of projectors, according to the rule one chooses for the decomposition. The main theorem in the paper states that the projectors are absolute Hodge endomorphisms. When \(X\) is non singular and therefore \(I\!H(X) = H(X)\) it is proved moreover that the projectors are André motivated, which roughly means that they are obtained from algebraic cycles by possibly applying the inverse Lefschetz isomorphism. For the very purpose of the definition of absolute Hodge classes it is necessary to have a construction of algebraic de Rham intersection cohomology groups for \(X/K\); which construction is here produced by making use of the decomposition theorem for a desingularization \(g:W \to X\). More precisely \(I\!H_{\mathrm{dR}} (X/K) \, := \; Gr_{g, 0,X} H_{\mathrm{dR}}(W/K),\) where the grading is with respect to the perverse filtration for \(g\). The authors recall that there has been in the past other work connected with the issue of the relations between motives and the decomposition theorem. \textit{A. Corti} and \textit{M. Hanamura} [Duke Math. J. 103, No. 3, 459--522 (2000; Zbl 1052.14504)] using the standard conjectures constructed a theory of relative motives whose realization give the intersection cohomology groups. In [Math. Res. Lett. 11, No. 2--3, 151--170 (2004; Zbl 1073.14010)] the case of semismall maps was treated by the present authors, it was established there that the projectors for the summands associated to different supports are determined by algebraic cycles.