Rational connectedness and Galois covers of the projective line

DOI10.2307/121121MaRDI QIDQ1972078zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Jean-Louis Colliot-Thélène

Publication date 14 May 2001

Published in Annals of Mathematics. Second Series (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/math/0010023, https://eudml.org/doc/121923, http://www.math.princeton.edu/~annals/issues/2000/151_1.html

zbMATH Keywords

inverse Galois problemlarge fieldrationally connected varietytorsor

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Inverse Galois theory (12F12) Coverings of curves, fundamental group (14H30) Homogeneous spaces and generalizations (14M17) Rational and unirational varieties (14M20)

Abstract: Let k be a p-adic field. Some time ago, D. Harbater [9] proved that any finite group G may be realized as a regular Galois group over the rational function field in one variable k(t), namely there exists a finite field extension $F/k(t)$, Galois with group G, such that F is a regular extension of k (i.e. k is algebraically closed in F). Moreover, one may arrange that a given k-place of k(t) be totally split in F. Harbater proved this theorem for k an arbitrary complete valued field. Rather formal arguments ([10, S 4.5]; S2 hereafter) then imply that the theorem holds over any `large' field k. This in turn is a special case of a result of Pop [15], hence will be referred to as the Harbater/Pop theorem. We refer to [10], [16], [6] for precise references to the literature (work of D`ebes, Deschamps, Fried, Haran, Harbater, Jarden, Liu, Pop, Serre, and V"olklein). Most proofs (see [10], [19, 8.4.4, p.~93] and Liu's contribution to [16]; see however [15]) first use direct arguments to establish the theorem when G is a cyclic group (here the nature of the ground field is irrelevant), then proceed by patching, using either formal or rigid geometry, together with GAGA theorems. In the present paper, where I take the case of algebraically closed fields for granted, I show how a technique recently developed by Koll'ar [12] may be used to give a quite different proof of the Harbater/Pop theorem, when the `large' field k has characteristic zero. This proof actually gives more than the original result (see comment after statement of Theorem 1).

Review text

The author considers the regular inverse Galois problem over ``large fields \(k\). A field \(k\) is said to be large if for any smooth integral \(k\)-variety with a \(k\)-point the set of \(k\)-points is Zariski dense. Real closed fields, \(p\)-adic fields, pseudo algebraically closed fields are large. The main result of the paper is Theorem 1: Let \(G\) be a finite group. Let \(k\) be a large field of characteristic zero. Let \(E=\text{Spec}(K)\) be a \(G\)-torsor over \(\text{Spec}(k)\). Then there exist an open set \(U\) of the affine line \({\mathbb A}_k^1\) containing a \(k\)-point \(O\) and a \(G\)-torsor \(V\to U\) such that the following two properties hold: (i) The fibre of \(V\to U\) over \(O\) is isomorphic to \(E\) \((\)as a \(G\)-torsor over \(\text{Spec}(k))\); (ii) The smooth \(k\)-curve \(V\) is geometrically connected. When the \(G\)-torsor \(E/\text{Spec}(k)\) is trivial, this is a theorem of \textit{D. Harbater} [Lect. Notes Math. 1240, 165-195 (1987; Zbl 0627.12015)] and \textit{F. Pop} [Ann. Math. (2) 144, 1-34 (1996; Zbl 0862.12003)]. The method of proof is quite different from that of Harbater and Pop. The main tool is smoothing a tree of rational curves into a single rational curve. It was developed by \textit{J. Kollár, Y. Miyaoka} and \textit{S. Mori} [J. Algebr. Geom. 1, 429-448 (1992; Zbl 0780.14026)] in the case where \(k\) is algebraically closed, and then generalized by \textit{J. Kollár} [Ann. Math. (2) 150, 357-367 (1999; Zbl 0976.14016)] to the case where \(k\) is large. The author applies this deformation technique to a natural versal model of a \(G\)-torsor. Here is an interesting corollary: for any finite \(G\) there exists a finite set of number fields \(k_i\) such that the greatest common denominator of the degrees \([k_i:\mathbb Q]\) is equal to one, and such that \(G\) is a regular Galois group over each \(k_i(t)\), hence in particular a Galois group over each \(k_i\) (that is, for any group \(G\) the inverse Galois problem over \(\mathbb Q\) acquires a positive answer when passing from rational points to zero-cycles of degree one). Note that Theorem 1 was generalized to the case where \(G\) is an arbitrary linear algebraic group by \textit{J. Kollár} [Mich. Math. J. 48, Spec. Vol., 359-368 (2000; Zbl 1077.14520)].

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Cited in

(29)

• The regular inverse Galois problem over non-large fields
• Specialization of zero cycles
• Sur la R-équivalence de torseurs sous un groupe fini. (On the R-equivalence of torsors under a finite group)
• The Behajaina method applied to the bodies of fractions twisted by a derivation
• Pre-Galois theory
• On finite embedding problems with abelian kernels
• Homotopic and geometric Galois theory. Abstracts from the workshop held March 7--13, 2021 (online meeting)
• \(\Theta\)-Hilbertianity
• Galois covers of \(\mathbb P^1\) over \(\mathbb Q\) with prescribed local or global behavior by specialization
• Rational pullbacks of Galois covers
• Differential Galois groups over Laurent series fields
• Zero-cycles on homogeneous spaces and inverse Galois problem
• On function fields with free absolute Galois groups
• Morphisms of varieties over ample fields
• Groups with no parametric Galois realizations
• The local dimension of a finite group over a number field
• On a variant of the Beckmann-Black problem
• Versality of algebraic group actions and rational points on twisted varieties
• Construction of coverings of pointed curves
• Simultaneous \(R\)-equivalence of torsors: a complement to an article of P. Gille
• \(R\)-equivalence of \(G\)-coverings over non-Archimedean local fields
• Some aspects of rational points and rational curves
• Ramification locus of projections of smooth hypersurfaces to be Galois rational covers
• Arithmetics of homogeneous spaces over p$p$‐adic function fields
• Henselian implies large
• Embeddings of function fields into ample fields
• Profinite version of the Beckmann-Black problem
• Mayer-Vietoris sequences for complexes of tori
• Counting real Galois covers of the projective line

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