On the K-theory of surfaces with multiple curves and a conjecture of Bloch (Q762228)

Bloch's conjecture [\textit{S. Bloch}, Commun. Algebra 3, 405-428 (1975; Zbl 0327.14002)] hypothesizes that if X is a non-singular projective surface over a field k of characteristic zero, and \(\dim H^ 2(X,{\mathcal O}_ X)=0\) then the Chow group \(CH^ 2(X)_ 0\) is finite dimensional. In this paper the author discusses the extension of Bloch's conjecture to certain singular surfaces. More specifically the author considers surfaces defined by the pushout diagram \(\tilde D \to^{s}\tilde X \to^{\beta}X\); \(\tilde D \to^{\alpha}D\to^{t}X\); \(\beta \circ s=t\circ \alpha\) where \(\tilde X\) is non-singular, and \(\alpha\) is a finite surjective morphism of reduced curves. It is proved that if Bloch's conjecture holds for \(\tilde X,\) then \(CH^ 2(X)_ 0\) is an extension of the Albanese variety by a direct sum of copies of \(k^*\). If k is the complexes, \(CH^ 2(X)_ 0\) is shown to be isogenous to a well known 1-motive. The pushout is not a well known construction in the category of schemes over k (and indeed may not always exist) so the author includes a section discussing the pushouts required above. The paper concludes with a discussion of Chern classes in Deligne cohomology (a topic that seems only indirectly related to the rest of the paper).