arXiv subjects

Francesca Balestrieri

Publications and source records attributed to Francesca Balestrieri.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Refined obstructions to local-global principles for 0-cycles

We introduce new `refined' obstructions to local-global principles for 0-cycles on algebraic varieties over number fields. Assuming finiteness of relevant Tate--Shafarevich groups, we show that the Hasse principle and weak approximation for 0-cycles on generalised Kummer varieties and bielliptic surfaces are controlled by obstructions of this new type. As an additional application of our refined obstructions, we answer a question of Zhang about the relationship between the Brauer--Manin and connected descent obstructions for 0-cycles. We also show that a Corwin--Schlank style refined obstruction set coincides with the set of global 0-cycles, conditionally on the Section Conjecture.

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arXiv2025

Counting quadratic points on Fano varieties

This paper initiates the systematic study of the number of points of bounded height on symmetric squares of weak Fano varieties. We provide a general framework for establishing the point count on $\text{Sym}^2 X$. In the specific case of surfaces, we relate this to the Manin--Peyre conjecture for $\text{Hilb}^2 X$, and prove the conjecture for an infinite family of non-split quadric surfaces. In order to achieve the predicted asymptotic, we show that a type II thin set of a new flavour must be removed. To establish our counting result for the specific family of surfaces, we generalise existing lattice point counting techniques to lattices defined over rings of integers. This reduces the dimension of the problem and yields improved error terms. Another key tool we develop is a collection of results for summing Euler products over quadratic extensions. We use this to show moments of $L$-functions at $s=1$ are constant on average in quadratic twist families.

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arXiv2023

First-order theory of a field and its Inverse Galois Problem

Let $G$ be a finite group. Then there exists a first-order statement $S(G)$ in the language of rings without parameters and depending only on $G$ such that, for any field $K$, we have that $K\models S(G)$ if and only if $K$ has a Galois extension with the Galois group isomorphic to $G$. Further, there is an effective procedure which takes the table of multiplication of $G$ as its input and produces $S_G$. Therefore, given a field $K$, the Inverse Galois Problem for $K$, that is, the problem of deciding whether $K$ has a Galois extension with a particular Galois group as input, is Turing reducible to the first-order theory of $K$. Similar results hold for the Finite Split Embedding Problem and the Inverse Automorphism Problem.

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arXiv2023

Descent and étale-Brauer obstructions for 0-cycles

For 0-cycles on a variety over a number field, we define an analogue of the classical descent set for rational points. This leads to, among other things, a definition of the étale-Brauer obstruction set for 0-cycles, which we show is contained in the Brauer-Manin set and is compatible with Suslin's singular homology of degree 0. We then transfer some tools and techniques used to study the arithmetic of rational points into the setting of 0-cycles. For example, we extend the strategy developed by Y. Liang, relating the arithmetic of rational points over finite extensions of the base field to that of 0-cycles, to torsors. We give applications of our results to study the arithmetic behaviour of 0-cycles for Enriques surfaces, torsors given by (twisted) Kummer varieties, universal torsors, and torsors under tori.

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arXiv2023

Degrees of closed points on hypersurfaces

Let $k$ be any field. Let $X \subset \mathbb{P}_k^N$ be a degree $d \geq 2$ hypersurface. Under some conditions, we prove that if $X(K) \neq \emptyset$ for some extension $K/k$ with $n:=[K:k] \geq 2$ and $\gcd(n,d)=1$, then $X(L) \neq \emptyset$ for some extension $L/k$ with $\gcd([L:k], d)=1$, $n \nmid [L:k]$, and $[L:k] \leq nd-n-d$. Moreover, if a $K$-solution is known explicitly, then we can compute $L/k$ explicitly as well. As an application, we improve upon a result by Coray on smooth cubic surfaces $X \subset \mathbb{P}^3_k$ by showing that if $X(K) \neq \emptyset$ for some extension $K/k$ with $\gcd([K:k], 3)=1$, then $X(L) \neq \emptyset$ for some $L/k$ with $[L:k] \in \{1, 10\}$.

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arXiv2023

Campana points on diagonal hypersurfaces

We construct an integral model for counting Campana points of bounded height on diagonal hypersurfaces of degree greater than one, and give an asymptotic formula for their number, generalising work by Browning and Yamagishi. The paper also includes background material on the theory of Campana points on hyperplanes and previous results in the field.

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arXiv2023

Average Bateman--Horn for Kummer polynomials

For any $r \in \mathbb{N}$ and almost all $k \in \mathbb{N}$ smaller than $x^r$, we show that the polynomial $f(n) = n^r + k$ takes the expected number of prime values as $n$ ranges from 1 to $x$. As a consequence, we deduce statements concerning variants of the Hasse principle and of the integral Hasse principle for certain open varieties defined by equations of the form $N_{K/\mathbb{Q}}(\mathbf{z}) = t^r +k \neq 0$ where $K/\mathbb{Q}$ is a quadratic extension. A key ingredient in our proof is a new large sieve inequality for Dirichlet characters of exact order $r$.

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arXiv2023

Arithmetic of rational points and zero-cycles on products of Kummer varieties and K3 surfaces

Let $k$ be a number field. In the spirit of a result by Yongqi Liang, we relate the arithmetic of rational points over finite extensions of $k$ to that of zero-cycles over $k$ for Kummer varieties over $k$. For example, for any Kummer variety $X$ over $k$, we show that if the Brauer-Manin obstruction is the only obstruction to the Hasse principle for rational points on $X$ over all finite extensions of $k$, then the ($2$-primary) Brauer-Manin obstruction is the only obstruction to the Hasse principle for zero-cycles of any given odd degree on $X$ over $k$. We also obtain similar results for products of Kummer varieties, K3 surfaces and rationally connected varieties.

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arXiv2022

Explicit uniform bounds for Brauer groups of singular K3 surfaces

Let $k$ be a number field. We give an explicit bound, depending only on $[k:\mathbf{Q}]$ and the discriminant of the Néron--Severi lattice, on the size of the Brauer group of a K3 surface $X/k$ that is geometrically isomorphic to the Kummer surface attached to a product of isogenous CM elliptic curves. As an application, we show that the Brauer--Manin set for such a variety is effectively computable. Conditional on GRH, we can also make the explicit bound depend only on $[k:\mathbf{Q}]$ and remove the condition that the elliptic curves be isogenous. In addition, we show how to obtain a bound, depending only on $[k:\mathbf{Q}]$, on the number of $\mathbf{C}$-isomorphism classes of singular K3 surfaces defined over $k$, thus proving an effective version of the strong Shafarevich conjecture for singular K3 surfaces.

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arXiv2022

Elliptic fibrations on covers of the elliptic modular surface of level 5

We consider the K3 surfaces that arise as double covers of the elliptic modular surface of level 5, $R_{5,5}$. Such surfaces have a natural elliptic fibration induced by the fibration on $R_{5,5}$. Moreover, they admit several other elliptic fibrations. We describe such fibrations in terms of linear systems of curves on $R_{5,5}$. This has a major advantage over other methods of classification of elliptic fibrations, namely, a simple algorithm that has as input equations of linear systems of curves in the projective plane yields a Weierstrass equation for each elliptic fibration. We deal in detail with the cases for which the double cover is branched over the two reducible fibers of type $I_5$ and for which it is branched over two smooth fibers, giving a complete list of elliptic fibrations for these two scenarios.

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arXiv2018

Arithmetic of rational points and zero-cycles on Kummer varieties

Let $k$ be a number field, let $X$ be a Kummer variety over $k$, and let $δ$ be an odd integer. In the spirit of a result by Yongqi Liang, we relate the arithmetic of rational points over finite extensions of $k$ to that of zero-cycles over $k$ for $X$. For example, we show that if the Brauer-Manin obstruction is the only obstruction to the existence of rational points on $X$ over all finite extensions of $k$, then the $2$-primary Brauer-Manin obstruction is the only obstruction to the existence of a zero-cycle of degree $δ$ on $X$ over $k$.

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arXiv2015

Insufficiency of the Brauer-Manin obstruction for Enriques surfaces

In 2011, Vàrilly-Alvarado and the last author constructed an Enriques surface $X$ over $\mathbb{Q}$ with an étale-Brauer obstruction to the Hasse principle and no algebraic Brauer-Manin obstruction. In this paper, we show that the nontrivial Brauer class of $X_{\bar{\mathbb{Q}}}$ does not descend to $\mathbb{Q}$. Together with the results of Vàrilly-Alvarado and the last author, this proves that the Brauer-Manin obstruction is insufficient to explain all failures of the Hasse principle on Enriques surfaces. The methods of this paper build on the ideas in several recent papers by the last author and various collaborators: we study geometrically unramified Brauer classes on $X$ via pullback of ramified Brauer classes on a rational surface. Notably, we develop techniques which work over fields which are not necessarily separably closed, in particular, over number fields.

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arXiv2013

On Squares in Lucas Sequences

In this short paper, we prove, by only using elementary tools, general cases when $U_n(P,Q) \neq \square$, where $U_n(P,Q)$ is the Lucas sequence of the first type.

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