arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Brendan Hassett.
We show that transcendental elements of the Brauer group of an algebraic surface can obstruct the Hasse principle. We construct a general K3 surface X of degree 2 over Q, together with a two-torsion Brauer class A that is unramified at every finite prime, but ramifies at real points of X. Motivated by Hodge theory, the pair (X,A) is constructed from a double cover of P^2 x P^2 ramified over a hypersurface of bi-degree (2,2).
We seek to characterize homology classes of Lagrangian projective spaces embedded in irreducible holomorphic-symplectic manifolds, up to the action of the monodromy group. This paper addresses the case of manifolds deformation-equivalent to the Hilbert scheme of length-three subschemes of a K3 surface. The class of the projective space in the cohomology ring has prescribed intersection properties, which translate into Diophantine equations. Possible homology classes correspond to integral points on an explicit elliptic curve; our proof entails showing that the only such point is two-torsion.
This is a survey of weak approximation over complex function fields, touching on the Koll'ar-Miyaoka-Mori theorem, places of good and bad reduction, the special case of rational surfaces, rationally simply connected varieties, and applications to low-degree complete intersections.
We propose a general framework governing the intersection properties of extremal rays of irreducible holomorphic symplectic manifolds under the Beauville-Bogomolov form. Our main thesis is that extremal rays associated to Lagrangian projective subspaces control the behavior of the cone of curves. We explore implications of this philosophy for examples like Hilbert schemes of points on K3 surfaces and generalized Kummer varieties. We also collect evidence supporting our conjectures in specific cases.
We construct an explicit K3 surface over the field of rational numbers that has geometric Picard rank one, and for which there is a transcendental Brauer-Manin obstruction to weak approximation. To do so, we exploit the relationship between polarized K3 surfaces endowed with particular kinds of Brauer classes and cubic fourfolds.
We analyze the intersection properties of projective planes embedded in generalized Kummer fourfolds, with a view toward classifying the homology classes represented by these submanifolds.
Let F be a polarized irreducible holomorphic symplectic fourfold, deformation equivalent to the Hilbert scheme parametrizing length-two zero-dimensional subschemes of a K3 surface. The homology group H^2(F,Z) is equipped with an integral symmetric nondegenerate form, the Beauville form. We give precise conjectures for the structure of the cone of effective curves - and by duality - the cone of ample divisors. Formally they are completely analogous to the results known for K3 surfaces, and they are expressed entirely in terms of the integers represented by the Beauville form restricted to Pic(F). We prove that these conjectures are true in an open subset of the moduli space using deformation theory. The Fano variety of lines contained in a cubic fourfold is an example of a holomorphic symplectic fourfold. Our conjectures imply many concrete geometric statements about cubic fourfolds which may be verified using projective geometry.
We develop a mixed-characteristic version of the Mori-Mukai technique for producing rational curves on K3 surfaces. We reduce modulo p, produce rational curves on the resulting K3 surface over a finite field, and lift to characteristic zero. As an application, we prove that all complex K3 surfaces with Picard group generated by a class of degree two have an infinite number of rational curves.
We describe a new approach to the definition of the moduli functor of stable varieties. While there is wide agreement as to what classes of varieties should appear, the notion of a family of stable surfaces is quite subtle, as key numerical invariants may fail to be constant in flat families. Our approach is to add natural stack structure to stable varieties. For example, given a canonical model we take the global-quotient stack structure arising from its realization as Proj of the canonical ring. Deformations of the stack structure preserve key numerical invariants of the stable variety, including the top self-intersection of the canonical divisor. This approach yields a transparent construction of the moduli stack of stable varieties as a global quotient of a suitable Hilbert scheme of weighted projective stacks.
We give a geometric invariant theory (GIT) construction of the log canonical model $\bar M_g(α)$ of the pairs $(\bar M_g, αδ)$ for $α\in (7/10 - ε, 7/10]$ for small $ε\in \mathbb Q_+$. We show that $\bar M_g(7/10)$ is isomorphic to the GIT quotient of the Chow variety bicanonical curves; $\bar M_g(7/10-ε)$ is isomorphic to the GIT quotient of the asymptotically-linearized Hilbert scheme of bicanonical curves. In each case, we completely classify the (semi)stable curves and their orbit closures. Chow semistable curves have ordinary cusps and tacnodes as singularities but do not admit elliptic tails. Hilbert semistable curves satisfy further conditions, e.g., they do not contain elliptic bridges. We show that there is a small contraction $Ψ: \bar M_g(7/10+ε) \to \bar M_g(7/10)$ that contracts the locus of elliptic bridges. Moreover, by using the GIT interpretation of the log canonical models, we construct a small contraction $Ψ^+ : \bar M_g(7/10-ε) \to \bar M_g(7/10)$ that is the Mori flip of $Ψ$.
We study the birational geometry of irreducible holomorphic symplectic varieties arising as varieties of lines of general cubic fourfolds containing a cubic scroll. We compute the ample and moving cones, and exhibit a birational automorphism of infinite order explaining the chamber decomposition of the moving cone.
We analyze the ample and moving cones of holomorphic symplectic manifolds, in light of recent advances in the minimal model program. As an application, we establish a numerical criterion for ampleness of divisors on fourfolds deformation-equivalent to punctual Hilbert schemes of K3 surfaces.
Consider a smooth log Fano variety over the function field of a curve. Suppose that the boundary has positive normal bundle. Choose an integral model over the curve. Then integral points are Zariski dense, after removing an explicit finite set of points on the base curve.
In this paper, we initiate our investigation of log canonical models for the moduli space of curves with the boundary divisor $\a \d$ as we decrease $\a$ from 1 to 0. We prove that for the first critical value $\a = 9/11$, the log canonical model is isomorphic to the moduli space of pseudostable curves, which have nodes and cusps as singularities. We also show that $\a = 7/10$ is the next critical value, i.e., the log canonical model stays the same in the interval $(7/10, 9/11]$. In the appendix, we develop a theory of log canonical models of stacks that explains how these can be expressed in terms of the coarse moduli space.
This paper addresses weak approximation for rationally connected varieties defined over the function field of a curve, especially at places of bad reduction. Our approach entails analyzing the rational connectivity of the smooth locus of singular reductions of the variety. As an application, we prove weak approximation for cubic surfaces with square-free discriminant.
We give examples of non-isotrivial K3 surfaces over complex function fields with Zariski-dense rational points and N'eron-Severi rank one.
We prove that rationally connected varieties over the function field of a complex curve satisfy weak approximation for places of good reduction.
This semi-expository paper discusses the log minimal model program as applied to the moduli space of curves, especially in the case of curves of genus two. Log canonical models for these moduli spaces can often be constructed using the techniques of Geometric Invariant Theory. In genus two, this boils down to the invariant theory of binary sextics, which was developed systematically in the 19th century.