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Asher Auel

Publications and source records attributed to Asher Auel.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

The algebraic geometry of 3-by-3 magic squares of squares

The question of whether a 3-by-3 magic square of squares with distinct integer entries exists has been open since the 18th century. We study the geometry of the algebraic surface parameterizing 3-by-3 magic squares of squares, which is a singular complete intersection of six quadrics in projective 8-space. We compute its geometric automorphism group via an argument involving Gale duality. We compute the basic topological invariants and Hodge diamond of its resolution. We provide an explicit rank 518 sublattice of its geometric Picard group, close to the Hodge-theoretic upper bound of 544. Finally, we study the geometry and arithmetic of del Pezzo, K3, and Enriques surfaces that arise as coordinate projections.

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arXiv2026

Splitting Brauer classes by genus one curves over number fields

We prove that every Severi-Brauer variety of dimension at least two over a number field contains a twisted elliptic normal curve. Consequently, every Brauer class over a number field is split by a genus one curve. We prove this using the fibration method, by showing that the rational points on a smooth compactification of the Hilbert scheme of twisted elliptic normal curves are dense in its Brauer-Manin set.

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arXiv2026

Noether-Lefschetz general complete intersection K3 surfaces over the rationals

We prove that the locus of Noether-Lefschetz general polarized K3 surfaces of degree at most 8 defined over the rational numbers is Zariski dense in the moduli space. Previously, this was proved by van Luijk in the quartic case, and it follows from work of Elsenhans and Jahnel in the degree 2 case. Innovations on their methods, and employing Mukai's Hodge isogeny, suffices to handle the degree 8 case. New methods allow us to deal with the case of degree 6.

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arXiv2025

Symmetric star transforms and the algebraic geometry of their dual differential operators

The star transform is a generalized Radon transform mapping a function on $\mathbb{R}^n$ to the function whose value at a point is the integral along a union of rays emanating from the point in a fixed set of directions, called branch vectors. We show that the injectivity and inversion properties of the star transform are connected to its dual differential operator, an object introduced in this paper. We prove that if the set of branch vectors forms a symmetric shape with respect to the action of a finite rotation group $G$, then the symbol of its dual differential operator belongs to the ring of $G$-invariant polynomials. Furthermore, we show that star transforms with degenerate symmetry correspond to linear subspaces contained in the zero set of certain elementary symmetric polynomials, and we investigate the associated real algebraic Fano varieties. In particular, non-invertible star transforms in dimension 2 correspond to certain real lines on the Cayley nodal cubic surface.

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arXiv2025

Zeta functions of K3 categories over finite fields

We define the zeta function of a noncommutative K3 surface over a finite field, an invariant under Fourier-Mukai equivalence that can be used to define point counts in this noncommutative setting. These point counts can be negative, and can be used as an obstruction to geometricity. In particular, we study the K3 category associated to a cubic fourfold over a finite field, and show that point counts can also fail to detect nongeometricity. We also study an analogue of Honda-Tate for K3 surfaces and for K3 categories, and provide a nontrivial restriction on the possible Weil polynomials of the K3 category of a cubic fourfold.

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arXiv2024

Distinguishing Brill-Noether loci

We construct curves carrying certain special linear series and not others, showing many non-containments between Brill-Noether loci in the moduli space of curves. In particular, we prove the Maximal Brill-Noether Loci conjecture in full generality.

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arXiv2024

Maximal Brill--Noether loci via the gonality stratification

We study the restriction of Brill-Noether loci to the gonality stratification of the moduli space of curves of fixed genus. As an application, we give new proofs that Brill-Noether loci with $ρ=-1$ have distinct support, and for fixed $r$ give lower bounds on when one direction of the non-containments of the Maximal Brill-Noether Loci Conjecture hold for Brill-Noether loci of rank $r$ linear systems. Using these techniques, we also show that Brill-Noether loci corresponding to rank $2$ linear systems are maximal as soon as $g\ge 28$ and prove the Maximal Brill-Noether Loci Conjecture for $g=20$.

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arXiv2023

Failure of the local-global principle for isotropy of quadratic forms over function fields

We prove the failure of the local-global principle, with respect to discrete valuations, for isotropy of quadratic forms over function fields of transcendence degree at least 2 over algebraically closed fields. Our construction involves generalized Kummer varieties as well as a new nontriviality result for the unramified cohomology of products of elliptic curves over discretely valued fields, which can be viewed as an arithmetic version of a theorem of Gabber.

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arXiv2023

Maximal Brill-Noether loci via K3 surfaces

We explain a strategy for distinguishing Brill-Noether loci in the moduli space of curves by studying the lifting of linear systems on curves in polarized K3 surfaces, which motivates a conjecture identifying the maximal Brill-Noether loci with respect to containment. Via an analysis of the stability of Lazarsfeld-Mukai bundles, we obtain new lifting results for linear systems of rank 3 which suffice to prove the maximal Brill-Noether loci conjecture in genus 9-19, 22, and 23.

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arXiv2023

A census of cubic fourfolds over $\mathbb{F}_2$

We compute a complete set of isomorphism classes of cubic fourfolds over $\mathbb{F}_2$. Using this, we are able to compile statistics about various invariants of cubic fourfolds, including their counts of points, lines, and planes; all zeta functions of the smooth cubic fourfolds over $\mathbb{F}_2$; and their Newton polygons. One particular outcome is the number of smooth cubic fourfolds over $\mathbb{F}_2$, which we fit into the asymptotic framework of discriminant complements. Another motivation is the realization problem for zeta functions of $K3$ surfaces. We present a refinement to the standard method of orbit enumeration that leverages filtrations and gives a significant speedup. In the case of cubic fourfolds, the relevant filtration is determined by Waring representation and the method brings the problem into the computationally tractable range.

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arXiv2022

Stickelberger's discriminant theorem for algebras

Stickelberger proved that the discriminant of a number field is congruent to 0 or 1 modulo 4. We generalize this to an arbitrary (not necessarily commutative) ring of finite rank over the integers using techniques from linear algebra. Our proof, which relies only on elementary matrix identities, is new even in the classical case.

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arXiv2021

Explicit descent on elliptic curves and splitting Brauer classes

We prove new results on splitting Brauer classes by genus 1 curves, settling in particular the case of degree 7 classes over global fields. Though our method is cohomological in nature, and proceeds by considering the more difficult problem of splitting $μ_N$-gerbes, we use crucial input from the arithmetic of modular curves and explicit $N$-descent on elliptic curves.

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arXiv2021

Brill-Noether special cubic fourfolds of discriminant 14

We study the Brill-Noether theory of curves on K3 surfaces that are Hodge theoretically associated to cubic fourfolds of discriminant 14. We prove that any smooth curve in the polarization class has maximal Clifford index and deduce that a cubic fourfold contains disjoint planes if and only if it admits a Brill-Noether special associated K3 surface of degree 14. As an application, the complement of the pfaffian locus, inside the Noether-Lefschetz divisor of discriminant 14 in the moduli space of cubic fourfolds, is contained in the irreducible locus of cubic fourfolds containing two disjoint planes.

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arXiv2019

Azumaya Algebras Without Involution

Generalizing a theorem of Albert, Saltman showed that an Azumaya algebra $A$ over a ring represents a $2$-torsion class in the Brauer group if and only if there is an algebra $A'$ in the Brauer class of $A$ admitting an involution of the first kind. Knus, Parimala, and Srinivas later showed that one can choose $A'$ such that $\mathrm{deg}\, A'=2\mathrm{deg}\, A$. We show that $2\mathrm{deg}\, A$ is the lowest degree one can expect in general. Specifically, we construct an Azumaya algebra $A$ of degree $4$ and period $2$ such that the degree of any algebra $A'$ in the Brauer class of $A$ admitting an involution is divisible by $8$. Separately, we provide examples of split and non-split Azumaya algebras of degree $2$ admitting symplectic involutions, but no orthogonal involutions. These stand in contrast to the case of central simple algebras of even degree over fields, where the presence of a symplectic involution implies the existence of an orthogonal involution and vice versa.

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arXiv2019

Period-index bounds for arithmetic threefolds

The standard period-index conjecture for the Brauer group of a field of transcendence degree 2 over a $p$-adic field predicts that the index divides the cube of the period. Using Gabber's theory of prime-to-$\ell$ alterations and the deformation theory of twisted sheaves, we prove that the index divides the fourth power of the period for every Brauer class whose period is prime to $6p$, giving the first uniform period-index bounds over such fields.

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arXiv2018

Unramified Brauer groups of conic bundle threefolds in characteristic two

We establish a formula for computing the unramified Brauer group of tame conic bundle threefolds in characteristic 2. The formula depends on the arrangement and residue double covers of the discriminant components, the latter being governed by Artin-Schreier theory (instead of Kummer theory in characteristic not 2). We use this to give new examples of threefold conic bundles defined over the integers that are not stably rational over the complex numbers.

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arXiv2018

Some non-special cubic fourfolds

In [1309.1899], Ranestad and Voisin showed, quite surprisingly, that the divisor in the moduli space of cubic fourfolds consisting of cubics "apolar to a Veronese surface" is not a Noether-Lefschetz divisor. We give an independent proof of this by exhibiting an explicit cubic fourfold X in the divisor and using point counting methods over finite fields to show X is Noether-Lefschetz general. We also show that two other divisors considered in [ibid.] are not Noether-Lefschetz divisors.

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