arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Andrew Snowden.
We determine the measures (in the sense of Harman--Snowden) on the Fra\"iss\'e class of partially ordered sets: the space of measures is a union of a plane, eight lines, and 15 isolated points. This is the first case where the space is not equidimensional, and the first primitive case in which it has dimension at least two. ChatGPT was used to obtain many arguments. The writing was done entirely by the author.
In recent work, Harman and the second author introduced some new infinite dimensional algebraic groups that generalize the classical groups. In this paper, we establish versions of the first and second fundamental theorems of invariant theory for them.
A $\mathbf{GL}$-variety is a typically infinite dimensional variety equipped with a suitable action of the infinite general linear group $\mathbf{GL}$. In earlier work, we established the unirationality theorem: an irreducible $\mathbf{GL}$-variety admits a dominant map from a particularly simple $\mathbf{GL}$-variety, namely, the product of an irreducible finite-dimensional variety with trivial $\mathbf{GL}$-action and an infinite-dimensional affine space on which $\mathbf{GL}$ acts linearly. The main result of this paper states that this map can in fact be constructed to be surjective rather than merely dominant. An immediate application is that secant varieties to varieties of tensors, which are typically constructed as image closures of certain $\mathbf{GL}$-equivariant maps, are in fact also images of (more complicated) $\mathbf{GL}$-equivariant maps. We derive several consequences of this improved unirationality theorem.
A $\mathbf{GL}$-variety is a (typically) infinite dimensional variety $X$ equipped with an action of the infinite general linear group. In recent work of the first two authors with Draisma, a candidate definition for the singular locus of $X$ was put forth. The approach there made use of auxiliary finite dimensional varieties associated to $X$. In this paper, we give a number of characterizations of the singular locus that are intrinsic to $X$. This work shows that the candidate definition is clearly correct, and helps clarify the geometric meaning of singular points.
Recently, Harman and the second author introduced a new construction of pre-Tannakian tensor categories based on oligomorphic groups. We develop tools for analyzing the Drinfeld centers of these categories, and compute the center explicitly in a number of cases. In particular, we find several finitely tensor-generated pre-Tannakian categories (including the Delannoy category) that are identified with their own center via the canonical functor; prior to this work, we knew no such examples besides the category of vector spaces.
In recent work, Harman and Snowden constructed a symmetric tensor category associated to an oligomorphic group equipped with a measure. The oligomorphic group $\mathbb{G}$ of order preserving automorphisms of the real line admits exactly four measures. The category $\mathcal{C}$ associated to the first measure is called the (first) Delannoy category; it is semi-simple and pre-Tannakian, with numerous special properties. In this paper, we study the (non-abelian) category $\mathcal{A}$ associated to the second measure, which we call the second Delannoy category. We construct a new pre-Tannakian category $\mathcal{D}$ together with a fully faithful tensor functor $\Psi \colon \mathcal{A} \to \mathcal{D}$. The category $\mathcal{D}$ is the correct ``abelian version'' of the second Delannoy category. Like $\mathcal{C}$, it has remarkable properties: for instance, it is non-semi-simple, but behaves uniformly in the coefficient field (e.g., it has the same Grothendieck ring and $\mathrm{Ext}^1$ quiver over any field). Additionally, we completely solve the problem of understanding how $\mathcal{A}$ relates to general pre-Tannakian categories. We show that $\mathcal{A}$ admits exactly two local abelian envelopes: the functor $\Psi$, and a previously constructed functor $\Phi \colon \mathcal{A} \to \mathcal{C}$. This is the first case where the local envelopes of a category have been completely determined, outside of cases where there is at most one envelope. This work opens the door to constructing abelian versions of other oligomorphic tensor categories that do not admit a unique envelope.
Let $\mathfrak{M}_n$ be the multiplicative monoid of $n \times n$ matrices over a finite field. The monoid algebra $\mathbf{C}[\mathfrak{M}_n]$ has been studied for several decades. One of the important early results is Kov\'acs' theorem that the two-sided ideal spanned by matrices of rank at most $r$ has a unit. Our most significant result is an explicit formula for this unit. Prior to our work, such a formula was only known in a few examples. We also study the module theory of $\mathbf{C}[\mathfrak{M}_n]$. We explicitly describe the simple modules, and establish induction and restriction rules. We show that the simple decomposition of an arbitrary module can be determined using character theory of finite general linear groups; this relies on a Pieri rule of Gurevich--Howe. We also establish a version of Schur--Weyl duality for $\mathbf{C}[\mathfrak{M}_n]$. Many of these results hold over more general coefficient fields.
Let $K$ be a number field and $f_1,\ldots,f_s\in K[x_1,\ldots,x_n]$ forms of odd degrees. In 1957, Birch proved that if $n$ is sufficiently large then the forms always have a nontrivial zero in $K^n$. Apart from some small degrees, the number of variables required was so large that it has been described as "not even astronomical". We prove that, for any fixed degree, $n$ may be taken polynomial in $s$. We deduce this from a stronger result -- the Zariski closure of the set of rational zeros has codimension bounded by a polynomial in $s$. When $K$ is totally imaginary, our results hold for forms of any (possibly even) degrees.
The Delannoy category is an interesting pre-Tannakian category associated to the oligomorphic group $\mathbb{G}$ of automorphisms of the totally ordered set $(\mathbf{R}, <)$. By construction, it admits some obvious simple commutative algebras, corresponding to certain transitive $\mathbb{G}$-sets. We show that these account for all of the simple commutative algebras in the Delannoy category. Previous results of this kind have been limited to interpolation categories; since the Delannoy category cannot be obtained by interpolation, new methods are required.
In recent joint work with Harman, we studied a pre-Tannakian category called the Delannoy category, and showed that it had numerous special properties. One of these is that the Adams operations on its Grothendieck group are trivial. In this paper, we prove three theorems inspired by this. Theorem A states that the Delannoy category is the unique semi-simple pre-Tannakian category having a generator that is fixed by the second Adams operation and whose exterior powers are simple. Theorem B states the Delannoy category is uniquely determined by its Grothendieck semi-ring (among semi-simple pre-Tannakian categories). This is reminiscent of Kazhdan--Wenzl's recognition theorem for quantum $\mathfrak{gl}_n$, and many subsequent results. Finally, Theorem C establishes some properties of pre-Tannakian categories where the second Adams operation fixes a generator.
Recently, the second and third authors introduced a new symmetric tensor category $\underline{\mathrm{Perm}}(G, \mu)$ associated to an oligomorphic group $G$ with a measure $\mu$. When $G$ is the group of order preserving self-bijections of the real line there are four such measures, and the resulting tensor categories are called the Delannoy categories. The first Delannoy category is semi-simple, and was studied in detail by Harman, Snowden, and Snyder. We give universal properties for all four Delannoy categories in terms of ordered \'etale algebras. As a consequence, we show that the second and third Delannoy categories admit at least two local abelian envelopes, and the fourth admits at least four. We also prove a coarser universal property for $\underline{\mathrm{Perm}}(G, \mu)$ for a general oligomorphic group $G$.
Cohen proved that the infinite variable polynomial ring $R=k[x_1,x_2,\ldots]$ is noetherian with respect to the action of the infinite symmetric group $\mathfrak{S}$. The first two authors began a program to understand the $\mathfrak{S}$-equivariant algebra of $R$ in detail. In previous work, they classified the $\mathfrak{S}$-prime ideals of $R$. An important example of an $\mathfrak{S}$-prime is the ideal $\mathfrak{h}_s$ generated by $(s+1)$st powers of the variables. In this paper, we study the category of $R/\mathfrak{h}_s$-modules. We obtain a number of results, and mention just three here: (a) we determine the Grothendieck group of the category; (b) we show that the Krull--Gabriel dimension is $s$; and (c) we obtain generators for the derived category. This paper will play a key role in subsequent work where we study general modules.
A tensor space is a vector space equipped with a finite collection of multi-linear forms. In recent years, a rich theory of infinite dimensional tensor spaces has emerged. In this note, we show that a large class of permutation groups can occur as the automorphism groups of such tensor spaces. Using this, we show that a tensor space can behave somewhat pathologically as a representation of its automorphism group.
We study tensor categories that interpolate the representation categories of finite classical groups. There are (at least) two ways to approach these categories: via ultraproducts and via oligomorphic groups. Both have strengths and weaknesses. The ultraproduct categories are easy to define, but their structure is not clear. On the other hand, the oligomorphic approach requires a certain kind of measure as an input, and the space of measures is not obvious. Furthermore, it is not a priori clear that the two approaches yield the same categories in general. We handle all of these issues: we determine all measures on the oligomorphic groups, and we show that the oligomorphic and ultraproduct categories agree, which gives us basic structural results about the latter. Our results rely upon (and in some sense repackage) enumerative results in finite geometry.
A tensor space is a vector space equipped with a finite collection of multilinear forms. The length of a tensor space is its length as a representation of its symmetry group. Infinite dimension tensor spaces of finite length are special, highly symmetrical objects. We classify the (universal) biquadratic spaces of length two; there are seven families of them. As a corollary, we establish some cases of the linear analog of the Ryll-Nardzewski theorem. We view this work as a first attempt to classify highly symmetrical tensor spaces.
We compute the coherent cohomology of the structure sheaf of complex periplectic Grassmannians. In particular, we show that it can be decomposed as a tensor product of the singular cohomology ring of a Grassmannian for either the symplectic or orthogonal group together with a semisimple representation of the periplectic Lie supergroup. The restriction of the latter to its even subgroup has an explicit multiplicity-free description in terms of Schur functors and is closely related to syzygies of (skew-)symmetric determinantal ideals. We develop tools for studying splitting rings for Coxeter groups of types BC and D, which may be of independent interest.
Let $\mathbb{M}$ be the group of multiplicative characters of a finite field $\mathbb{F}$, and let $\mathbb{J}(\alpha, \beta)$ be the Jacobi sum, for $\alpha, \beta \in \mathbb{M}$. We observe that the function $\mathbb{J} \colon \mathbb{M} \times \mathbb{M} \to \mathbf{C}$ satisfies three elementary properties. We show that these properties (very nearly) characterize Jacobi sums: if $M$ is an arbitrary non-trivial finite abelian group and $J \colon M \times M \to \mathbf{C}$ is a function satisfying these properties then $M$ is naturally the group of multiplicative characters of a finite field and $J$ is the Jacobi sum.
Let $\mathfrak{C}$ be a symmetric tensor category and let $A$ be an Azumaya algebra in $\mathfrak{C}$. Assuming a certain invariant $\eta(A) \in \mathrm{Pic}(\mathfrak{C})[2]$ vanishes, and fixing a certain choice of signs, we show that there is a universal tensor functor $\Phi \colon \mathfrak{C} \to \mathfrak{D}$ for which $\Phi(A)$ splits. We apply this when $\mathfrak{C}=\underline{\mathrm{Rep}}(\mathbf{Sp}_t(\mathbf{F}_q))$ is the interpolation category of finite symplectic groups and $A$ is a certain twisted group algbera in $\mathfrak{C}$, and we show that the splitting category $\mathfrak{D}$ is S. Kriz's interpolation category of the oscillator representation. This construction has a number advantages over previous ones; e.g., it works in non-semisimple cases. It also brings some conceptual clarity to the situation: the existence of Kriz's category is tied to the non-triviality of the Brauer group of $\mathfrak{C}$.