Good reduction of periodic points on projective varieties (Q610642)

Let \(R\) be a discrete valuation ring with finite residue field \(\kappa = R/\mathfrak m\) of characteristic \(p\). Let \(X\) be a smooth projective scheme over \(\mathrm{spec}(R)\), and let \(\varphi:X\to X\) be a morphism over \(\mathrm{spec}(R)\). The morphism \(\varphi\) induces maps of sets \(\varphi_R: X(R) \to X(R)\) and \(\varphi_\kappa: X(\kappa)\to X(\kappa)\). An \(R\)--point \(P\in X(R)\) is said to be periodic if \(\varphi^N_R(P)=P\) for some integer \(N\geq 1\), where \(\varphi^N = \varphi\circ\cdots\circ\varphi\) is the \(N\)--fold iterate of \(\varphi\). For such a periodic point, it is natural to look at the integers \[ n := \#\{\varphi_R^i(P) \mid i\geq 0\} \qquad \text{and}\qquad m:=\#\{\varphi_\kappa^i(\overline P) \mid i\geq 0\} \] where \(\overline P\) is the image of \(P\) under the reduction map \(X(R) \to X(\kappa)\). These integers are called \textit{primitive periods} of \(P\) and \(\overline P\), respectively. Obviously \(n\) is a multiple of \(m\). The main result of the paper under review states that one has either \(m = n\), or an equality of the form \[ n=m\cdot r_V \cdot p^e \] where \(r_V\geq 1\) and \(e\geq 0\) are integers as follows. The morphism \(\varphi^m\) fixes \(\overline P\), hence induces an endomorphism of the cotangent space of \(X\otimes_R\mathrm{spec}(\kappa)\) at \(\overline P\). There is a certain subspace \(V\) of this cotangent space which is invariant under the action of \(\varphi^m\), and on which \(\varphi^m\) acts as an automorphism. Then, \(r_V\) is the order of that automorphism of \(V\). In particular, \(r_V\) can be bounded in terms of the dimension of \(X\) over \(R\), and the cardinality of the residue field \(\kappa\). There is no such explicit description for \(e\), but an upper bound for \(e\) is established, again only in terms of the cardinality of the residue field \(\kappa\). As a corollary, the size of the orbit of a periodic point under \(\varphi_R\) is bounded in terms of \(\dim X\) and \(\#\kappa\), independently of \(\varphi\).