\(G_a\)-actions and completions (Q926844)

This article provides a negative answer to a problem raised earlier by the same author. Namely let \(B\) be an affine domain with locally nilpotent derivation \(d\), \(A=\ker d\) and let \(M\) be a maximal ideal in \(B\). In this situation \(d\) induces a derivation \(\hat d\) on the completion \(\hat B_M\) of the localization \(B_M\) and one can compare \(\ker\hat d\) with the completion \(\hat A_{M\cap A}\) of \(A_{M\cap A}\). It turns out that they may be different. Related to this, there is an example of an affine surface \(Y\) with a free action of the additive group \(G_a\) and an unramified equivariant endomorphism of \(Y\) which induces a ramified endomorphism on the quotient \(Y//G_a\). This is related to the quotient map having multiple fibers.