Smoothness and tangent bundles of arithmetical schemes. (Q5957312)

In the theory of embedded resolution of singularities of algebraic varieties, certain properties of a smooth morphism of schemes \(f:W \to Y\), \(Y= \text{Spec}(k)\), \(k\) a field, play an important role. For instance: (a) the sheaf \(\Omega _{W/Y}\) is locally free, (b) for a closed subscheme \(Z \subset W\) one has the Jacobian ideal \(\Delta _Z\), which describes the non-smooth locus of \(Z\), (c) if \(C \subset W\) is a closed subscheme, smooth over \(Y\), then the blowing-up of \(X\) with center \(C\) is again smooth over \(Y\). But if we work in the arithmetic situation, where we substitute \(Y=\text{Spec}(k)\) for \(Y=\text{Spec}(D)\), with \(D\) a Dedekind domain, these statements are no longer valid. In this article, the authors introduce certain notions that allow them to partially generalize the results above to the arithmetic case. This had been started by the second author and \textit{E. Orlando} in a previous paper [Math. Z. 225 317--332 (1997; Zbl 0873.14002)]. Here is a brief summary of the content of the present article. The symbol \(Y\) denotes the spectrum of a Dedekind ring whose field of fractions \(F\) has characteristic zero and \(k(y)\) is a perfect field, for all \(y \in \text{Spec}(D)\), \(W\) will be an integral scheme, \(K\) its field of rational functions. A morphism of finite type \(f:W \to Y\) is geometrically quasi-smooth if there is a dense open set \(U\) in \(X\) such that for \(y \in U\) the fiber \(f^{-1}(y)\) is regular, and for \(y \notin U\) it is a divisor with normal crossings (with each irreducible component regular). In this case, on may define a certain subsheaf \(\omega(\pi)\) of \(\Omega _{K/F}\) (of differential forms with logarithmic poles along the components of the non-regular fibers of \(f\)). If this is a locally free sheaf of \({\mathcal O}_W\)-modules, we say that \(f\) is quasi-smooth, or that \(W\) is quasi-smooth over \(S\). In the sequel, \(W\) is always assumed to be quasi-smooth over \(S\). If \(Z\) is an irreducible closed subscheme of \(W\), one defines the notion ``\(Z\) is an admissible center''. The definition is rather technical (it involves a finer study of \(\omega(\pi)\)). It implies that \(Z\) is regular and that if \(W' \to W\) is the blowing-up of \(W\) with center such a \(Z\), then the composition \(W'\to Y\) is again quasi-smooth. Similarly, if \(Z\) is a closed irreducible subscheme of \(W\), with the aid of \(\omega(\pi)\) it is possible to define a sheaf of \({\mathcal O}_{W}\)-ideals, \({\Delta}_Z\), called the Jacobian ideal of \(Z\). There is a criterion to decide whether \(Z\) is an admissible center or not based on this Jacobian ideal. In the notion of admissible center, as well as in this criterion, it is not assumed that the projection \(Z \to Y\) be finite-to-one, this is an improvement upon the treatment in the previous paper of Villamayor. Other properties of these objects, that indicate that this is a reasonable substitute of the notion of smoothness in the arithmetic case, are dicussed. Several inteenting examples are included. The article is well written and essentially self-contained.