arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Spencer Bloch.
We exhibit a precise connection between Néron--Tate heights on smooth curves and biextension heights of limit mixed Hodge structures associated to smoothing deformations of singular quotient curves. Our approach suggests a new way to compute Beilinson--Bloch heights in higher dimensions.
We consider the problem of explicitly computing Beilinson--Bloch heights of homologically trivial cycles on varieties defined over number fields. Recent results have established a congruence, up to the rational span of logarithms of primes, between the height of certain limit mixed Hodge structures and certain Beilinson--Bloch heights obtained from odd-dimensional hypersurfaces with a node. This congruence suggests a new method to compute Beilinson--Bloch heights. Here we explain how to compute the relevant limit mixed Hodge structures in practice, then apply our computational method to a nodal quartic curve and a nodal cubic threefold. In both cases, we explain the nature of the primes occurring in the congruence.
The motive associated to the second Symanzik polynomial of the double-box two-loop Feynman graph with generic masses and momenta is shown to be an elliptic curve.
In their paper on the gamma conjecture in mirror symmetry, Golyshev and Zagier introduce what we refer to as Frobenius constants associated to an ordinary linear differential operator L with a reflection type singularity. These numbers describe the variation around the reflection point of Frobenius solutions to L defined near other singular points. Golyshev and Zagier show that in certain geometric cases Frobenius constants are periods, and they raise the question quite generally how to describe these numbers motivically. In this paper we give a relation between Frobenius constants and Taylor coefficients of generalized gamma functions, from which it follows that Frobenius constants of Picard--Fuchs differential operators are periods. We also study the relation between these constants and periods of limiting Hodge structures. This is a major revision of the previous version of the manuscript. The notion of Frobenius constants and our main result are extended to the general case of regular singularities with any sets of local exponents. In addition, the generating function of Frobenius constants is given explicitly for all hypergeometric connections.
We study the sunset Feynman integral defined as the scalar two-point self-energy at two-loop order in a two dimensional space-time. We firstly compute the Feynman integral, for arbitrary internal masses, in terms of the regulator of a class in the motivic cohomology of a 1-parameter family of open elliptic curves. Using an Hodge theoretic (B-model) approach, we show that the integral is given by a sum of elliptic dilogarithms evaluated at the divisors determined by the punctures. Secondly we associate to the sunset elliptic curve a local non-compact Calabi-Yau 3-fold, obtained as a limit of elliptically fibered compact Calabi-Yau 3-folds. By considering the limiting mixed Hodge structure of the Batyrev dual A-model, we arrive at an expression for the sunset Feynman integral in terms of the local Gromov-Witten prepotential of the del Pezzo surface of degree 6. This expression is obtained by proving a strong form of local mirror symmetry which identifies this prepotential with the second regulator period of the motivic cohomology class.
We investigate from a mathematical perspective how Feynman amplitudes appear in the low-energy limit of string amplitudes. In this paper, we prove the convergence of the integrands. We derive this from results describing the asymptotic behavior of the height pairing between degree-zero divisors, as a family of Riemann surfaces degenerates. These are obtained by means of the nilpotent orbit theorem in Hodge theory.
We derive Cutkosky's theorem starting from Pham's classical work. We emphasize structural relations to Outer Space.
These are notes of lectures given at the CMI conference in August, 2014 at ICMAT in Madrid. The focus is on some mathematical questions associated to Feynman amplitudes, including Hodge structures, relations with string theory, and monodromy (Cutkosky rules).
We study the Feynman integral for the three-banana graph defined as the scalar two-point self-energy at three-loop order. The Feynman integral is evaluated for all identical internal masses in two space-time dimensions. Two calculations are given for the Feynman integral; one based on an interpretation of the integral as an inhomogeneous solution of a classical Picard-Fuchs differential equation, and the other using arithmetic algebraic geometry, motivic cohomology, and Eisenstein series. Both methods use the rather special fact that the Feynman integral is a family of regulator periods associated to a family of K3 surfaces. We show that the integral is given by a sum of elliptic trilogarithms evaluated at sixth roots of unity. This elliptic trilogarithm value is related to the regulator of a class in the motivic cohomology of the K3 family. We prove a conjecture by David Broadhurst that at a special kinematical point the Feynman integral is given by a critical value of the Hasse-Weil L-function of the K3 surface. This result is shown to be a particular case of Deligne's conjectures relating values of L-functions inside the critical strip to periods.
We study the sunset graph defined as the scalar two-point self-energy at two-loop order. We evaluate the sunset integral for all identical internal masses in two dimensions. We give two calculations for the sunset amplitude; one based on an interpretation of the amplitude as an inhomogeneous solution of a classical Picard-Fuchs differential equation, and the other using arithmetic algebraic geometry, motivic cohomology, and Eisenstein series. Both methods use the rather special fact that the amplitude in this case is a family of periods associated to the universal family of elliptic curves over the modular curve X_1(6). We show that the integral is given by an elliptic dilogarithm evaluated at a sixth root of unity modulo periods. We explain as well how this elliptic dilogarithm value is related to the regulator of a class in the motivic cohomology of the universal elliptic family.
We study a formal deformation problem for rational algebraic cycle classes motivated by Grothendieck's variational Hodge conjecture. We argue that there is a close connection between the existence of a Chow-Künneth decomposition and the existence of expected deformations of cycles. This observation applies in particular to abelian schemes.
We study the p-adic deformation properties of algebraic cycle classes modulo rational equivalence. We show that the crystalline Chern character of a vector bundle lies in a certain part of the Hodge filtration if and only if, rationally, the class of the vector bundle lifts to a formal pro-class in K-theory on the p-adic scheme.
A tautological system, introduced in \cite{LSY}\cite{LY}, arises as a regular holonomic system of partial differential equations that govern the period integrals of a family of complete intersections in a complex manifold $X$, equipped with a suitable Lie group action. In this article, we introduce two formulas -- one purely algebraic, the other geometric -- to compute the rank of the solution sheaf of such a system for CY hypersurfaces in a generalized flag variety. The algebraic version gives the local solution space as a Lie algebra homology group, while the geometric one as the middle de Rham cohomology of the complement of a hyperplane section in $X$. We use both formulas to find certain degenerate points for which the rank of the solution sheaf becomes 1. These rank 1 points appear to be good candidates for the so-called large complex structure limits in mirror symmetry. The formulas are also used to prove a conjecture of Hosono, Lian and Yau on the completeness of the extended GKZ system when $X$ is $¶^n$.
An exposition of the basic geometry of twistor integrals, intended for mathematicians.
We use mixed Hodge structures to investigate Feynman amplitudes as functions of external momenta and masses.
The Feynman amplitude associated to a graph is a period of a certain motive. The sum of these motive classes over all connected graphs with no multiple edges or tadpoles and n vertices is defined in the Grothendieck ring of varieties. This sum is shown to lie in the subring generated by the affine line. It follows from work of Belkale and Brosnan that motives of individual graphs do not lie in this subring.
We relate renormalization in perturbative quantum field theory to the theory of limiting mixed Hodge structures using parametric representations of Feynman graphs.
Over a perfect field $k$ of characteristic $p > 0$, we construct a ``Witt vector cohomology with compact supports'' for separated $k$-schemes of finite type, extending (after tensorisation with $\mathbb{Q}$) the classical theory for proper $k$-schemes. We define a canonical morphism from rigid cohomology with compact supports to Witt vector cohomology with compact supports, and we prove that it provides an identification between the latter and the slope $< 1$ part of the former. Over a finite field, this allows one to compute congruences for the number of rational points in special examples. In particular, the congruence modulo the cardinality of the finite field of the number of rational points of a theta divisor on an abelian variety does not depend on the choice of the theta divisor. This answers positively a question by J.-P. Serre.