Two coniveau filtrations (Q821494)

The coniveau filtration for \(X\) a smooth complex projective variety of dimension \(n\) is given by \[ \begin{split} N^cH^{\ell}(X,A)&=\sum_{Z\subset X} \ker \left ( j^{\ast}: H^{\ell}(X,A)\to H^{\ell}(X - Z,A) \right )\\ &=\sum_{Z\subset X} \mathrm{im} \left ( H^{\ell}_{Z}(X,A)\to H^{\ell}(X,A) \right ), \end{split} \] where the sum is over all closed subvarieties \(Z\subset X\) of codimension at least \(c\) of \(X\), \(j:X-Z\to X\), \(A\) is an abelian group. The strong coniveau filtration is given by \[ \widetilde{N}^cH^{\ell}(X,A)=\sum_{f:Y\to X} \mathrm{im} \left ( f_{\ast}: H^{\ell-2r}(Y,A)\to H^{\ell}(X,A) \right ), \] where the sum is over all proper morphisms \(f:Y\to X\) with \(Y\) a smooth complex variety of dimension \(n-r\), \(r\geq c\). These are two descending filtrations for \(H^{\ell}(X,A)\) such that \(\widetilde{N}^cH^{\ell}(X,A)\subseteq N^cH^{\ell}(X,A)\). It is the main result of this paper that the inclusion is in general strict. The authors show that for \(c\geq 1\) and \(\ell \geq 2c+1\) there exists a smooth complex projective variety \(X\) such that the inclusion \(\widetilde{N}^cH^{\ell}(X,\mathbb{Z})\subseteq N^cH^{\ell}(X,\mathbb{Z})\) is strict. Also, if \(c\geq 1\) and \(\ell \geq 2c+1\) there exists a smooth quasi projective rational complex variety \(X\) of dimension \(\ell-c+1\) such that the inclusion \(\widetilde{N}^cH^{\ell}(X,\mathbb{Q})\subseteq N^cH^{\ell}(X,\mathbb{Q})\) is strict. The case of smooth projective varieties with integer coefficients uses Steenrod operations and complex cobordism to exhibit classes with no strong coniveau filtration and the obstructions are characterized concretely, with the help of classifying spaces BG. Actually, the variety for which the inclusion is strict can be chosen with torsion canonical bundle or rational if \(c\geq 2\). For smooth quasiprojective varieties with rational coefficients, they use the decomposition theorem of Beilinson, Bernstein, Deligne, Gabber and one from Cataldo and Migliorini. The rational case only makes sense in this setting, because for smooth proper varieties the coniveau and strong coniveau filtrations are the same. This work is full of examples, from the known cases where both filtrations coincide to the once constructed to show that they differ. Therse is also a small discussion with examples for singular varieties.