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Aaron Landesman

Publications and source records attributed to Aaron Landesman.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2025

The stable homology of Hurwitz modules and applications

We show that the homology of modules for Hurwitz spaces stabilizes and compute its stable value. As one consequence, we compute the moments of Selmer groups in quadratic twist families of abelian varieties over suitably large function fields. As a second consequence, we deduce a version of Bhargava's conjecture, counting the number of $S_d$ degree $d$ extensions of $\mathbb F_q(t)$, for suitably large $q$. As a third consequence, we deduce that the homology of Hurwitz spaces associated to racks with a single component satisfy representation stability.

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arXiv2025

The locus of plane curves in the moduli stack of curves

Let $d \geq 4$ and let $U_d$ denote the locus of smooth curves in the Hilbert scheme of degree $d$ plane curves. If the members of $U_d$ have genus $g$, let $\mathscr{M}_g$ denote the moduli stack of genus $g$ curves. We show that the natural map $[U_d/\operatorname{PGL}_3] \to \mathscr{M}_g$ is a locally closed embedding.

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arXiv2025

Homological stability for Hurwitz spaces and applications

We show the homology of the Hurwitz space associated to an arbitrary finite rack stabilizes integrally in a suitable sense. We also compute the dominant part of its stable homology after inverting finitely many primes. This proves a conjecture of Ellenberg--Venkatesh--Westerland and improves upon our previous results for non-splitting racks. We obtain applications to Malle's conjecture, the Picard rank conjecture, and the Cohen--Lenstra--Martinet heuristics.

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arXiv2024

The Cohen--Lenstra moments over function fields via the stable homology of non-splitting Hurwitz spaces

We compute the average number of surjections from class groups of quadratic function fields over $\mathbb F_q(t)$ onto finite odd order groups $H$, once $q$ is sufficiently large. These yield the first known moments of these class groups, as predicted by the Cohen--Lenstra heuristics, apart from the case $H = \mathbb Z/3\mathbb Z$. The key input to this result is a topological one, where we compute the stable rational homology groups of Hurwitz spaces associated to non-splitting conjugacy classes.

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arXiv2024

Big monodromy for higher Prym representations

Let $\Sigma_{g'}\to \Sigma_g$ be a cover of an orientable surface of genus g by an orientable surface of genus g', branched at n points, with Galois group H. Such a cover induces a virtual action of the mapping class group $\text{Mod}_{g,n+1}$ of a genus g surface with n+1 marked points on $H^1(\Sigma_{g'}, \mathbb{C})$. When g is large in terms of the group H, we calculate precisely the connected monodromy group of this action. The methods are Hodge-theoretic and rely on a "generic Torelli theorem with coefficients."

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arXiv2023

Homological stability for generalized Hurwitz spaces and Selmer groups in quadratic twist families over function fields

We prove a version of the Bhargava-Kane-Lenstra-Poonen-Rains heuristics for Selmer groups of quadratic twist families of abelian varieties over global function fields. As a consequence, we derive a result towards the "minimalist conjecture" on Selmer ranks of abelian varieties in such families. More precisely, we show that the probabilities predicted in these two conjectures are correct to within an error term in the size of the constant field, $q$, which goes to $0$ as $q$ grows. Two key inputs are a new homological stability theorem for a generalized version of Hurwitz spaces parameterizing covers of punctured Riemann surfaces of arbitrary genus, and an expression of average sizes of Selmer groups in terms of the number of rational points on these Hurwitz spaces over finite fields.

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arXiv2023

Applications of the algebraic geometry of the Putman-Wieland conjecture

We give two applications of our prior work toward the Putman-Wieland conjecture. First, we deduce a strengthening of a result of Marković-Tošić on virtual mapping class group actions on the homology of covers. Second, let $g\geq 2$ and let $Σ_{g',n'}\to Σ_{g, n}$ be a finite $H$-cover of topological surfaces. We show the virtual action of the mapping class group of $Σ_{g,n+1}$ on an $H$-isotypic component of $H^1(Σ_{g'})$ has non-unitary image.

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arXiv2023

Finite braid group orbits on $SL_2$-character varieties

Let X be a 2-sphere with n punctures. We classify all conjugacy classes of Zariski-dense representations $$ρ: π_1(X)\to SL_2(\mathbb{C})$$ with finite orbit under the mapping class group of X, such that the local monodromy at one or more punctures has infinite order. We show that all such representations are "of pullback type" or arise via middle convolution from finite complex reflection groups. In particular, we classify all rank 2 local systems of geometric origin on the projective line with n generic punctures, and with local monodromy of infinite order about at least one puncture.

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arXiv2023

A geometric approach to the Cohen-Lenstra heuristics

We give a new geometric description of when an element of the class group of a quadratic field, thought of as a quadratic form $q$, is $n$-torsion. We show that $q$ corresponds to an $n$-torsion element if and only if there exists a degree $n$ polynomial whose resultant with $q$ is $\pm 1$. This is motivated by a more precise geometric parameterization which directly connects torsion in class groups of quadratic fields to Selmer groups of singular genus $1$ curves.

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arXiv2023

Stacky heights on elliptic curves in characteristic 3

We show there are no stacky heights on the moduli stack of stable elliptic curves in characteristic $3$ which induce the usual Faltings height, negatively answering a question of Ellenberg, Satriano, and Zureick-Brown.

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arXiv2022

Prill's problem

We solve Prill's problem, originally posed by David Prill in the late 1970s and popularized in ACGH's "Geometry of Algebraic Curves." That is, for any curve $Y$ of genus $2$, we produce a finite \'etale degree $36$ connected cover $f: X \to Y$ where, for every point $y \in Y$, $f^{-1}(y)$ moves in a pencil.

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arXiv2022

The geometric distribution of Selmer groups of elliptic curves over function fields

Fix a positive integer $n$ and a finite field $\mathbb F_q$. We study the joint distribution of the rank of $E$, the $n$-Selmer group of $E$, and the $n$-torsion in the Tate-Shafarevich group of $E$ as $E$ varies over elliptic curves of fixed height $d \geq 2$ over $\mathbb F_q(t)$. We compute this joint distribution in the large $q$ limit. We also show that the "large $q$, then large height" limit of this distribution agrees with the one predicted by Bhargava-Kane-Lenstra-Poonen-Rains.

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arXiv2022

An introduction to the algebraic geometry of the Putman-Wieland conjecture

We give algebraic and geometric perspectives on our prior results toward the Putman-Wieland conjecture. This leads to interesting new constructions of families of "origami" curves whose Jacobians have high-dimensional isotrivial isogeny factors. We also explain how a hyperelliptic analogue of the Putman-Wieland conjecture fails, following work of Markovi\'{c}.

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arXiv2022

Surjectivity of Galois Representations in Rational Families of Abelian Varieties

In this article, we show that for any non-isotrivial family of abelian varieties over a rational base with big monodromy, those members that have adelic Galois representation with image as large as possible form a density-$1$ subset. Our results can be applied to a number of interesting families of abelian varieties, such as rational families dominating the moduli of Jacobians of hyperelliptic curves, trigonal curves, or plane curves. As a consequence, we prove that for any dimension $g \geq 3$, there are infinitely many abelian varieties over $\mathbb Q$ with adelic Galois representation having image equal to all of $\operatorname{GSp}_{2g}(\widehat{\mathbb Z})$.

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