Logarithmic good reduction, monodromy and the rational volume (Q506178)

Let \(R\) be a strictly local ring, complete for a discrete valuation, with fraction field \(K\) and with residue field algebrically closed and of characteristic \(p>0\). We call \(K^s\) a separable closure of \(K\) and \(K^t\) the tame closure of \(K\) into \(K^s\). Denote by \(\varphi\) a topological generator of \(\text{Gal}(K^t/K)\). Let \(X\) be a proper and smooth \(K\)-variety. The number of rational points of \(X\) cannot always be simply counted, but one can give a measure for the set of rational points. For any prime \(\ell\neq p\) one can define the measure called the \textit{rational volume}, \(s(X)\), which is the \(\ell\)-adic Euler characteristic of the special fibre of a weak Néron model \(\mathcal{X}\) for \(X\). (A weak Néron model for \(X\) is a smooth, separated \(R\)-scheme of finite type \(\mathcal{X}\) such that there exists an isomorphism \(\mathcal{X}\times_R X\cong X\) and the natural map \(\mathcal{X}(R)\to \mathcal{X}(K) = X(K)\) is an isomorphism.) Having in mind the cohomological interpretation of the Grothendieck-Lefschetz formula, Nicaise proposed a similar interpretation and posed the following question. Assume that \(X\) is cohomologically tame, i.e., that the wild inertia subgroup \(\text{Gal}(K^s/K^t)\) acts trivially on the étale cohomology groups \(H^i(X\times_K K^s,{\mathbb Q}_l)\), and that \(X(K^t)\neq\varnothing\); is it true that \[ s(X) = \sum_{i\geq 0} (-1)^i \mathrm{Tr}(\varphi \, |\, H^i(X\times_K K^t, {\mathbb Q}_l)) \;? \] Nicaise proved this equality in the equal characteristic 0 case. In the present paper, using logarithmic geometry, the author proves the equality for all proper and smooth \(K\)-varieties, under the condition that there exists a flat, proper \(R\)-model \(\mathcal{X}\) of \(X\) such that \(\mathcal{X}^\dagger\) is log snooth over \(R^\dagger\). As to notation, the log scheme \(\mathcal{X}^\dagger\) is the model \(\mathcal{X}\) equipped with the natural log structure, i.e., the divisorial log structure induced by the special fibre \(\mathcal{X}_s\), and \(R^\dagger\) is the ``log ring'' given by the inclusion \(R\setminus\{0\} \hookrightarrow R\).