Degree formula for connective \(K\)-theory (Q849250)

The author proves a degree formula for connective \(K\)-theory, as certain generalizations of the Rost degree formula and its application to find examples of incompressible varieties. The main result is the following Theorem. Let \(X\) and \(Y\) be smooth projective (irreducible) varieties of the same dimension \(d\) over a field \(k\) such that \(\text{char}(k)=0\) or \((\text{char}(k)-1)\nmid d\). Let \(f:Y\dashrightarrow X\) be a rational map. Then \[ \chi(\mathcal{O}_Y)\cdot \tau_{(d-1)}\equiv\deg f\cdot \chi(\mathcal{O}_X)\cdot \tau_{(d-1)} \mod n_X, \] where \(\tau_m\) denotes the \(m\)-th denominator of the Todd class and \(n_X\) is the greatest common divisor of degrees of all closed points on \(X\). This gives a condition for smooth varieties which are incompressible, that is, if \(n_X\) does not divide \(\chi(\mathcal{O}_X)\cdot \tau_{\dim X-1}\), then \(X\) is incompressible. This condition is simple for those varieties \(X\) satisfying \(\chi(\mathcal{O}_X)=1\). Moreover, the main result also implies a index reduction formula which says that if two smooth projective varieties \(X\) and \(Y\) over a field \(k\), satifying both of dimension are less than a prime number \(p\), \(\text{char}(k)=0\) or \((\text{char}(k)-1)\nmid(p-1)\), \(p\mid \chi(\mathcal{O}_X)\) and \(p\nmid\chi(\mathcal{O}_Y)\), then \(N_{X\times_k k(Y)}=p\), where \(k(Y)\) is the function field of \(Y\). The proof of the main theorem is direct and involves with an application of the generalized degree formula by \textit{M. Levine} and \textit{F. Morel} [Algebraic cobordism. Berlin: Springer (2007; Zbl 1188.14015)].