Motives of quadric bundles (Q5965196)

Let \(X\) be a smooth projective variety that is a flat odd-dimensional quadric fibration over a smooth projective surface \(S\), of relative dimension \(2m-1\) say. In this paper, the author computes the Chow motive with rational coefficients of \(X\) in terms of the motive of \(S\) and of the motive of the Prym variety associated to the discriminant curve, which is assumed to be smooth, associated to the fibration. This generalizes the seminal result of \textit{A. Beauville} [Ann. Sci. Éc. Norm. Supér. (4) 10, 309--391 (1977; Zbl 0368.14018)] to the motivic setting, and makes more precise a result of the reviewer [Doc. Math., J. DMV 18, 1521--1553 (2013; Zbl 1349.14027)] by identifying the middle part of the motive with the motive of the Prym. The case of conic fibrations over a surface was treated previously by \textit{J. Nagel} and \textit{M. Saito} [Int. Math. Res. Not. 2009, No. 16, 2978--3001 (2009; Zbl 1177.14034)]. The strategy of proof is by explicit calculations for relative correspondences in \(\mathrm{CH}^{2m-1}(X\times_S X)\).