arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Michel Brion.
Let $G$ be a connected algebraic $k$-group acting on a normal $k$-variety, where $k$ is a field. We show that $X$ is covered by open $G$-stable quasi-projective subvarieties; moreover, any such subvariety admits an equivariant embedding into the projectivization of a $G$-linearized vector bundle on an abelian variety, quotient of $G$. This generalizes a classical result of Sumihiro for actions of smooth connected affine algebraic groups.
This paper develops a representation-theoretic approach to the isogeny category $\underline{\mathcal{C}}$ of commutative group schemes of finite type over a field $k$, studied in arXiv:1602:00222. We construct a ring $R$ such that $\underline{\mathcal{C}}$ is equivalent to the category $R$-mod of all left $R$-modules of finite length. We also construct an abelian category of $R$-modules, $R$-$\widetilde{\rm mod}$, which is hereditary, has enough projectives, and contains $R$-mod as a Serre subcategory; this yields a more conceptual proof of the main result of [loc. cit.], asserting that $\underline{\mathcal{C}}$ is hereditary. We show that $R$-$\widetilde{\rm mod}$ is equivalent to the isogeny category of commutative quasi-compact $k$-group schemes.
In this note, we show that the epimorphic subgroups of an algebraic group are exactly the pull-backs of the epimorphic subgroups of its affinization. We also obtain epimorphicity criteria for subgroups of affine algebraic groups, which generalize a result of Bien and Borel. Moreover, we extend the affinization theorem for algebraic groups to homogeneous spaces.
These are extended notes of a course given at Tulane University for the 2015 Clifford Lectures. Their aim is to present structure results for group schemes of finite type over a field, with applications to Picard varieties and automorphism groups.
Consider the abelian category $\mathcal{C}_k$ of commutative group schemes of finite type over a field $k$. By results of Serre and Oort, $\mathcal{C}_k$ has homological dimension $1$ (resp. $2$) if $k$ is algebraically closed of characteristic $0$ (resp. positive). In this article, we explore the abelian category of commutative algebraic groups up to isogeny, defined as the quotient of $\mathcal{C}_k$ by the full subcategory $\mathcal{F}_k$ of finite $k$-group schemes. We show that $\mathcal{C}_k/\mathcal{F}_k$ has homological dimension $1$, and we determine its projective or injective objects. We also obtain structure results for $\mathcal{C}_k/\mathcal{F}_k$, which take a simpler form in positive characteristics.
Let $V$ be a complex algebraic variety, homogeneous under the action of a complex algebraic group. We show that the log Kodaira dimension of $V$ is non-negative if and only if $V$ is a semi-abelian variety.
We obtain a lifting property for finite quotients of algebraic groups, and applications to the structure of these groups.
Consider a simple algebraic group G of adjoint type, and its wonderful compactification X. We show that X admits a unique family of minimal rational curves, and we explicitly describe the subfamily consisting of curves through a general point. As an application, we show that X has the target rigidity property when G is not of type A_1 or C.
We study the linearization of line bundles and the local structure of actions of connected linear algebraic groups, in the setting of seminormal varieties. We show that several classical results about normal varieties extend to that setting, if the Zariski topology is replaced with the étale topology.
We introduce the notion of a conical symplectic variety, and show that any symplectic resolution of such a variety is isomorphic to the Springer resolution of a nilpotent orbit in a semisimple Lie algebra, composed with a linear projection.
We show that every connected commutative algebraic group over an algebraically closed field of characteristic 0 is the Picard variety of some projective variety, obtained by pinching a smooth variety along a finite subscheme. In contrast, no Witt group of dimension at least 3 over a perfect field of prime characteristic is isogenous to the Picard variety obtained by this construction.
We present some fundamental results on (possibly nonlinear) algebraic semigroups and monoids. These include a version of Chevalley's structure theorem for irreducible algebraic monoids, and the description of all algebraic semigroup structures on curves and complete varieties.
Consider an algebraic semigroup $S$ and its closed subscheme of idempotents, $E(S)$. When $S$ is commutative, we show that $E(S)$ is finite and reduced; if in addition $S$ is irreducible, then $E(S)$ is contained in a smallest closed irreducible subsemigroup of $S$, and this subsemigroup is an affine toric variety. It follows that $E(S)$ (viewed as a partially ordered set) is the set of faces of a rational polyhedral convex cone. On the other hand, when $S$ is an irreducible algebraic monoid, we show that $E(S)$ is smooth, and its connected components are conjugacy classes of the unit group.
We first show that any connected algebraic group over a perfect field is the neutral component of the automorphism group scheme of some normal projective variety. Then we show that very few connected algebraic semigroups can be realized as endomorphisms of some projective variety X, by describing the structure of all connected subsemigroup schemes of End(X).
Let $S$ be an algebraic semigroup (not necessarily linear) defined over a field $F$. We show that there exists a positive integer $n$ such that $x^n$ belongs to a subgroup of $S(F)$ for any $x \in S(F)$. In particular, the semigroup $S(F)$ is strongly π-regular.
Let $X$ be a normal projective algebraic variety, $G$ its largest connected automorphism group, and $A(G)$ the Albanese variety of $G$. We determine the isogeny class of $A(G)$ in terms of the geometry of $X$. In characteristic 0, we show that the dimension of $A(G)$ is the rank of every maximal trivial direct summand of the tangent sheaf of $X$. Also, we obtain an optimal bound for the dimension of the largest anti-affine closed subgroup of $G$ (which is the smallest closed subgroup that maps onto $A(G)$).
We consider those projective bundles (or Brauer-Severi varieties) over an abelian variety that are homogeneous, i.e., invariant under translation. We describe the structure of these bundles in terms of projective representations of commutative algebraic groups; the irreducible bundles correspond to Heisenberg groups and their standard representations. Our results extend those of Mukai on semi-homogeneous vector bundles, and yield a geometric view of the Brauer group of abelian varieties.
Let G be a connected algebraic group over an algebraically closed field of characteristic p (possibly 0), and X a variety on which G acts transitively with connected stabilizers. We show that any étale Galois cover of X of degree prime to p is also homogeneous, and that the maximal prime-to-p quotient of the étale fundamental group of X is commutative. We moreover obtain an explicit bound for the number of topological generators of the said quotient. When G is commutative, we also obtain a description of the prime-to-p torsion in the Brauer group of G.