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Christian Böhning

Publications and source records attributed to Christian Böhning.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
arXiv2016

On stable rationality of some conic bundles and moduli spaces of Prym curves

We prove that a very general hypersurface of bidegree (2, n) in P^2 x P^2 for n bigger than or equal to 2 is not stably rational, using Voisin's method of integral Chow-theoretic decompositions of the diagonal and their preservation under mild degenerations. At the same time, we also analyse possible ways to degenerate Prym curves, and the way how various loci inside the moduli space of stable Prym curves are nested. No deformation theory of stacks or sheaves of Azumaya algebras like in recent work of Hasset-Kresch-Tschinkel is used, rather we employ a more elementary and explicit approach via Koszul complexes, which is enough to treat this special case.

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arXiv2015

Some properties of dynamical degrees with a view towards cubic fourfolds

Dynamical degrees and spectra can serve to distinguish birational automorphism groups of varieties in quantitative, as opposed to only qualitative, ways. We introduce and discuss some properties of those degrees and the Cremona degrees, which facilitate computing or deriving inequalities for them in concrete cases: (generalized) lower semi-continuity, sub-multiplicativity, and an analogue of Picard-Manin/Zariski-Riemann spaces for higher codimension cycles. We also specialize to cubic fourfolds and show that under certain genericity assumptions the first and second dynamical degrees of a composition of reflections in points on the cubic coincide.

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arXiv2013

The transcendental lattice of the sextic Fermat surface

We prove that the integral polarized Hodge structure on the transcendental lattice of a sextic Fermat surface is decomposable. This disproves a conjecture of Kulikov related to a Hodge theoretic approach to proving the irrationality of the very general cubic fourfold.

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arXiv2013

On uniformly rational varieties

We investigate basic properties of uniformly rational varieties, i.e. those smooth varieties for which every point has a Zariski open neighborhood isomorphic to an open subset of A^n. It is an open question of Gromov whether all smooth rational varieties are uniformly rational. We discuss some potential criteria that might allow one to show that they form a proper subclass in the class of all smooth rational varieties. Finally we prove that small algebraic resolutions and big resolutions of nodal cubic threefolds are uniformly rational.

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arXiv2012

On the Jordan-Hölder property for geometric derived categories

We prove that the semiorthogonal decompositions of the derived category of the classical Godeaux surface X do not satisfy the Jordan-Hölder property. More precisely, there are two maximal exceptional sequences in this category, one of length 11, the other of length 9. Assuming the Noetherian property for semiorthogonal decompositions, one can define, following Kuznetsov, the Clemens-Griffiths component for each fixed maximal decomposition. We then show that D^b (X) has two different maximal decompositions for which the Clemens-Griffiths components differ. Moreover, we produce examples of rational fourfolds whose derived categories also violate the Jordan-Hölder property.

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arXiv2012

On the derived category of the classical Godeaux surface

We construct an exceptional sequence of length 11 on the classical Godeaux surface X which is the Z/5-quotient of the Fermat quintic surface in P^3. This is the maximal possible length of such a sequence on this surface which has Grothendieck group Z^11+Z/5. In particular, the result answers Kuznetsov's Nonvanishing Conjecture, which concerns Hochschild homology of an admissible subcategory, in the negative. The sequence carries a symmetry when interpreted in terms of the root lattice of the simple Lie algebra of type E_8. We also produce explicit nonzero objects in the (right) orthogonal to the exceptional sequence.

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arXiv2012

Determinantal Barlow surfaces and phantom categories

We prove that the bounded derived category of the surface S constructed by Barlow admits a length 11 exceptional sequence consisting of (explicit) line bundles. Moreover, we show that in a small neighbourhood of S in the moduli space of determinantal Barlow surfaces, the generic surface has a semiorthogonal decomposition of its derived category into a length 11 exceptional sequence of line bundles and a category with trivial Grothendieck group and Hochschild homology, called a phantom category. This is done using a deformation argument and the fact that the derived endomorphism algebra of the sequence is constant. Applying Kuznetsov's results on heights of exceptional sequences, we also show that the sequence on S itself is not full and its (left or right) orthogonal complement is also a phantom category.

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arXiv2012

Isoclinism and stable cohomology of wreath products

Using the notion of isoclinism introduced by P. Hall for finite p-groups, we show that many important classes of finite p-groups have stable cohomology detected by abelian subgroups, see Theorem 4.4. Moreover, we show that the stable cohomology of the n-fold wreath product of cyclic groups ZZ/p is detected by elementary abelian p-subgroups and we describe the resulting cohomology algebra explicitly. Some applications to the computation of unramified and stable cohomology of finite groups of Lie type are given.

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arXiv2011

Birational properties of some moduli spaces related to tetragonal curves of genus 7

Let M_{7,n} be the (coarse) moduli space of smooth curves of genus 7 with n marked points defined over the complex field. We denote by M^1_{7,n;4} the locus of points inside M_{7,n} representing curves carrying a g^1_4. It is classically known that M^1_{7,n;4} is irreducible of dimension 17+n. We prove in this paper that M^1_{7,n;4} is rational for 0<= n <= 11.

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arXiv2011

Linear bounds for levels of stable rationality

Let G be one of the groups SL_n C, Sp_2n C, SO_m C, O_m C, or G_2. For a generically free G-representation V, we say that N is a level of stable rationality for V/G if V/G x P^N is rational. In this paper we improve known bounds for the levels of stable rationality for the quotients V/G. In particular, their growth as functions of the rank of the group is linear for G one of the classical groups.

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arXiv2010

Rationality of quotients by linear actions of affine groups

Let G be the (special) affine group, semidirect product of SL_n and C^n. In this paper we study the representation theory of G and in particular the question of rationality for V/G where V is a generically free G-representation. We show that the answer to this question is positive if the dimension of V is sufficiently large and V is indecomposable. We have a more precise theorem if V is a two-step extension 0 -> S -> V -> Q -> 0 with S, Q completely reducible.

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arXiv2010

On the rationality of the moduli space of Lüroth quartics

We prove that the moduli space M_L of L"uroth quartics in P^2, i.e. the space of quartics which can be circumscribed around a complete pentagon of lines modulo the action of PGL_3(CC) is rational, as is the related moduli space of Bateman seven-tuples of points in P^2.

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arXiv2009

The Rationality Problem in Invariant Theory

This is a survey of the rationality problem in invariant theory. It also contains some new results, in particular in Chapter 2 on moduli spaces of plane curves with a theta-characteristic, and a detailed account of the relation of the Hesselink stratification of the Hilbert nullcone to the rationality problem, with an application to the rationality of the moduli space of plane curves of degree 34.

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arXiv2008

A Clebsch-Gordan formula for SL_3 and applications to rationality

If R, S, T are irreducible SL_3-representations, we give an easy and explicit description of a basis of the space of equivariant maps from R tensor S to T. We apply this method to the rationality problem for invariant function fields. In particular, we prove the rationality of the moduli space of plane curves of degree 34. This uses a criterion which ensures the stable rationality of some quotients of Grassmannians by an SL-action.

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