Toric surfaces over an arbitrary field (Q723588)

Let \(X\) be a scheme over a field \(k\) and let \(K/k\) be a field extension. \(Y/k\) is called a \(K/k\)-form of \(X\) if \(X_K=X{\otimes}_k K\) and \(Y_K\) are isomorphic schemes over \(K.\) When \(K\) is equal to the separable closure \(k^s\) of \(k,\) the \(k^s/k\) form is called the twisted form. The normal geometrically irreducible variety over \(k\) is \(T\)-toric if it admits an action of an algebraic torus \(T\) and there is an open orbit \(U\) such that \(U\) is a principal homogenous space or torsor over \(T.\) A toric variety is called split if \(T\) is split. Split toric varieties have been extensively studied [\textit{V. I. Danilov}, Russ. Math. Surv. 33, No. 2, 97--154 (1978; Zbl 0425.14013); translation from Usp. Mat. Nauk 33, No. 2(200), 85--134 (1978)], [\textit{W. Fulton}, Introduction to toric varieties. The 1989 William H. Roever lectures in geometry. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press (1993; Zbl 0813.14039)], [\textit{D. A. Cox} et al., Toric varieties. Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society (AMS) (2011; Zbl 1223.14001)]. In fact any toric variety is a twisted form of a split toric varieties. The minimal rational surfaces over arbitrary fields were classified in [\textit{V. A. Iskovskikh}, Math. USSR, Izv. 14, 17--39 (1980; Zbl 0427.14011)]. The author gives an explicit description of minimal toric surfaces using toric geometry. In [\(K\)-Theory 12, No. 2, 101--143 (1997; Zbl 0882.19002)] \textit{A. S. Merkurjev} and \textit{I. A. Panin} introduced a motivic category \(\mathcal C\) and asked a question whether \(K_0(X_{k^s})\) is always a permutation \(\mathrm{Gal}(k^s/k)\)-module i.e., there exists a \(\mathrm{Gal}(k^s/k)\)-invariant \({\mathbb Z}\)-basis of \(K_0(X_{k^s}).\) The author gives, for toric surfaces, an affirmative answer to this question. The other interesting results are the decomposition of toric surfaces as \(K\)-motives into products of central simple algebras and obtaining full exceptional collections for the derived category of toric surfaces.