Oda’s problem, which deals with the fixed field of the universal monodromy representation of moduli spaces of curves and its independence with respect to the topological data, is a central question of anabelian arithmetic geometry. This paper emphasizes the stack nature of this problem by establishing the independence of monodromy fields with respect to finer special loci data of curves with symmetries, which we show provides a new proof of Oda’s prediction.

Let A be an abelian surface over ${\mathbb {Q}}$ whose geometric endomorphism ring is a maximal order in a non-split quaternion algebra. Inspired by Mazur’s theorem for elliptic curves, we show that the torsion subgroup of $A({\mathbb {Q}})$ is $12$-torsion and has order at most $18$. Under the additional assumption that A is of $ {\mathrm{GL}}_2$-type, we give a complete classification of the possible torsion subgroups of $A({\mathbb {Q}})$.

We study the $\overline {\mathbb {F}}_{p}$-points of the Kisin–Pappas integral models of Shimura varieties of Hodge type with parahoric level. We show that if the group is quasi-split, then every isogeny class contains the reduction of a CM point, proving a conjecture of Kisin–Madapusi–Shin. We, furthermore, show that the mod p isogeny classes are of the form predicted by the Langlands–Rapoport conjecture (cf. Conjecture 9.2 of [Rap05]) if either the Shimura variety is proper or if the group at p is unramified. The main ingredient in our work is a global argument that allows us to reduce the conjecture to the case of very special parahoric level. This case is dealt with in the Appendix by Zhou. As a corollary to our arguments, we determine the connected components of Ekedahl–Oort strata.

We introduce and study the notion of a generalised Hecke orbit in a Shimura variety. We define a height function on such an orbit and study its properties. We obtain lower bounds for the sizes of Galois orbits of points in a generalised Hecke orbit in terms of this height function, assuming the ‘weakly adelic Mumford–Tate hypothesis’ and prove the generalised André–Pink–Zannier conjecture under this assumption, using Pila–Zannier strategy.

We prove several boundedness statements for geometrically integral normal del Pezzo surfaces X over arbitrary fields. We give an explicit sharp bound on the irregularity if X is canonical or regular. In particular, we show that wild canonical del Pezzo surfaces exist only in characteristic $2$. As an application, we deduce that canonical del Pezzo surfaces form a bounded family over $\mathbb {Z}$, generalising work of Tanaka. More generally, we prove the BAB conjecture on the boundedness of $\varepsilon $-klt del Pezzo surfaces over arbitrary fields of characteristic different from $2, 3$ and $5$.

Inspired by K. Fujita's algebro-geometric result that complex projective space has maximal degree among all K-semistable complex Fano varieties, we conjecture that the height of a K-semistable metrized arithmetic Fano variety $\mathcal {X}$ of relative dimension $n$ is maximal when $\mathcal {X}$ is the projective space over the integers, endowed with the Fubini–Study metric. Our main result establishes the conjecture for the canonical integral model of a toric Fano variety when $n\leq 6$ (the extension to higher dimensions is conditioned on a conjectural ‘gap hypothesis’ for the degree). Translated into toric Kähler geometry, this result yields a sharp lower bound on a toric invariant introduced by Donaldson, defined as the minimum of the toric Mabuchi functional. Furthermore, we reformulate our conjecture as an optimal lower bound on Odaka's modular height. In any dimension $n$ it is shown how to control the height of the canonical toric model $\mathcal {X},$ with respect to the Kähler–Einstein metric, by the degree of $\mathcal {X}$. In a sequel to this paper our height conjecture is established for any projective diagonal Fano hypersurface, by exploiting a more general logarithmic setup.

For $2 \leq d \leq 5$, we show that the class of the Hurwitz space of smooth degree $d$, genus $g$ covers of $\mathbb {P}^1$ stabilizes in the Grothendieck ring of stacks as $g \to \infty$, and we give a formula for the limit. We also verify this stabilization when one imposes ramification conditions on the covers, and obtain a particularly simple answer for this limit when one restricts to simply branched covers.

Let f be an $L^2$-normalized holomorphic newform of weight k on $\Gamma _0(N) \backslash \mathbb {H}$ with N squarefree or, more generally, on any hyperbolic surface $\Gamma \backslash \mathbb {H}$ attached to an Eichler order of squarefree level in an indefinite quaternion algebra over $\mathbb {Q}$. Denote by V the hyperbolic volume of said surface. We prove the sup-norm estimate

$$\begin{align*}\| \Im(\cdot)^{\frac{k}{2}} f \|_{\infty} \ll_{\varepsilon} (k V)^{\frac{1}{4}+\varepsilon} \end{align*}$$

with absolute implied constant. For a cuspidal Maaß newform $\varphi $ of eigenvalue $\lambda $ on such a surface, we prove that

$$\begin{align*}\|\varphi \|_{\infty} \ll_{\lambda,\varepsilon} V^{\frac{1}{4}+\varepsilon}. \end{align*}$$

We establish analogous estimates in the setting of definite quaternion algebras.

For any smooth proper rigid space $X$ over a complete algebraically closed extension $K$ of $\mathbb {Q}_p$ we give a geometrisation of the $p$-adic Simpson correspondence of rank one in terms of analytic moduli spaces: the $p$-adic character variety is canonically an étale twist of the moduli space of topologically torsion Higgs line bundles over the Hitchin base. This also eliminates the choice of an exponential. The key idea is to relate both sides to moduli spaces of $v$-line bundles. As an application, we study a major open question in $p$-adic non-abelian Hodge theory raised by Faltings, namely which Higgs bundles correspond to continuous representations under the $p$-adic Simpson correspondence. We answer this question in rank one by describing the essential image of the continuous characters $\pi ^{{\mathrm {\acute {e}t}}}_1(X)\to K^\times$ in terms of moduli spaces: for projective $X$ over $K=\mathbb {C}_p$, it is given by Higgs line bundles with vanishing Chern classes like in complex geometry. However, in general, the correct condition is the strictly stronger assumption that the underlying line bundle is a topologically torsion element in the topological group $\operatorname {Pic}(X)$.

For any abelian group $A$, we prove an asymptotic formula for the number of $A$-extensions $K/\mathbb {Q}$ of bounded discriminant such that the associated norm one torus $R_{K/\mathbb {Q}}^1 \mathbb {G}_m$ satisfies weak approximation. We are also able to produce new results on the Hasse norm principle and to provide new explicit values for the leading constant in some instances of Malle's conjecture.

In his work on modularity of elliptic curves and Fermat’s last theorem, A. Wiles introduced two measures of congruences between Galois representations and between modular forms. One measure is related to the order of a Selmer group associated to a newform $f \in S_2(\Gamma _0(N))$ (and closely linked to deformations of the Galois representation $\rho _f$ associated to f), whilst the other measure is related to the congruence module associated to f (and is closely linked to Hecke rings and congruences between f and other newforms in $S_2(\Gamma _0(N))$). The equality of these two measures led to isomorphisms $R={\mathbf T}$ between deformation rings and Hecke rings (via a numerical criterion for isomorphisms that Wiles proved) and showed these rings to be complete intersections.

We continue our study begun in [BKM21] of the Wiles defect of deformation rings and Hecke rings (at a newform f) acting on the cohomology of Shimura curves over ${\mathbf Q}$: It is defined to be the difference between these two measures of congruences. The Wiles defect thus arises from the failure of the Wiles numerical criterion at an augmentation $\lambda _f:{\mathbf T} \to {\mathcal O}$. In situations we study here, the Taylor–Wiles–Kisin patching method gives an isomorphism $ R={\mathbf T}$ without the rings being complete intersections. Using novel arguments in commutative algebra and patching, we generalize significantly and give different proofs of the results in [BKM21] that compute the Wiles defect at $\lambda _f: R={\mathbf T} \to {\mathcal O}$, and explain in an a priori manner why the answer in [BKM21] is a sum of local defects. As a curious application of our work we give a new and more robust approach to the result of Ribet–Takahashi that computes change of degrees of optimal parametrizations of elliptic curves over ${\mathbf Q}$ by Shimura curves as we vary the Shimura curve. The results we prove are not attainable using only the methods of Ribet–Takahashi.

Kobayashi–Ochiai proved that the set of dominant maps from a fixed variety to a fixed variety of general type is finite. We prove the natural extension of their finiteness theorem to Campana’s orbifold pairs.

We introduce a new class of generalised quadratic forms over totally real number fields, which is rich enough to capture the arithmetic of arbitrary systems of quadrics over the rational numbers. We explore this connection through a version of the Hardy–Littlewood circle method over number fields.

In a recent breakthrough, Dimitrov [Dim] solved the Schinzel–Zassenhaus conjecture. We follow his approach and adapt it to certain dynamical systems arising from polynomials of the form $T^p+c$, where p is a prime number and where the orbit of $0$ is finite. For example, if $p=2$ and $0$ is periodic under $T^2+c$ with $c\in \mathbb {R}$, we prove a lower bound for the local canonical height of a wandering algebraic integer that is inversely proportional to the field degree. From this, we are able to deduce a lower bound for the canonical height of a wandering point that decays like the inverse square of the field degree. For these f, our method has application to the irreducibility of polynomials. Indeed, say y is preperiodic under f but not periodic. Then any iteration of f minus y is irreducible in $\mathbb {Q}(y)[T]$.

Let $X$ be a smooth geometrically connected projective curve over the field of fractions of a discrete valuation ring $R$, and $\mathfrak {m}$ a modulus on $X$, given by a closed subscheme of $X$ which is geometrically reduced. The generalized Jacobian $J_\mathfrak {m}$ of $X$ with respect to $\mathfrak {m}$ is then an extension of the Jacobian of $X$ by a torus. We describe its Néron model, together with the character and component groups of the special fibre, in terms of a regular model of $X$ over $R$. This generalizes Raynaud's well-known description for the usual Jacobian. We also give some computations for generalized Jacobians of modular curves $X_0(N)$ with moduli supported on the cusps.

We prove that the Hodge–Tate spectral sequence of a proper smooth rigid analytic variety can be reconstructed from its infinitesimal $\mathbb{B}_{\text{dR}}^+$-cohomology through the Bialynicki–Birula map. We also give a new proof of the torsion-freeness of the infinitesimal $\mathbb{B}_{\text{dR}}^+$-cohomology independent of Conrad–Gabber spreading theorem, and a conceptual explanation that the degeneration of Hodge–Tate spectral sequences is equivalent to that of Hodge–de Rham spectral sequences.

In the present paper, we study a new kind of anabelian phenomenon concerning the smooth pointed stable curves in positive characteristic. It shows that the topology of moduli spaces of curves can be understood from the viewpoint of anabelian geometry. We formulate some new anabelian-geometric conjectures concerning tame fundamental groups of curves over algebraically closed fields of characteristic $p>0$ from the point of view of moduli spaces. The conjectures are generalized versions of the Weak Isom-version of the Grothendieck conjecture for curves over algebraically closed fields of characteristic $p>0$ which was formulated by Tamagawa. Moreover, we prove that the conjectures hold for certain points lying in the moduli space of curves of genus $0$.

We prove the Hasse principle for a smooth projective variety $X\subset \mathbb {P}^{n-1}_\mathbb {Q}$ defined by a system of two cubic forms $F,G$ as long as $n\geq 39$. The main tool here is the development of a version of Kloosterman refinement for a smooth system of equations defined over $\mathbb {Q}$.

Irregular cusps of an orthogonal modular variety are cusps where the lattice for Fourier expansion is strictly smaller than the lattice of translation. The presence of such a cusp affects the study of pluricanonical forms on the modular variety using modular forms. We study toroidal compactification over an irregular cusp, and clarify there the cusp form criterion for the calculation of Kodaira dimension. At the same time, we show that irregular cusps do not arise frequently: besides the cases when the group is neat or contains $-1$, we prove that the stable orthogonal groups of most (but not all) even lattices have no irregular cusp.

Let $F$ be a separable integral binary form of odd degree $N \geq 5$. A result of Darmon and Granville known as ‘Faltings plus epsilon’ implies that the degree-$N$ superelliptic equation $y^2 = F(x,z)$ has finitely many primitive integer solutions. In this paper, we consider the family $\mathscr {F}_N(f_0)$ of degree-$N$ superelliptic equations with fixed leading coefficient $f_0 \in \mathbb {Z} \smallsetminus \pm \mathbb {Z}^2$, ordered by height. For every sufficiently large $N$, we prove that among equations in the family $\mathscr {F}_N(f_0)$, more than $74.9\,\%$ are insoluble, and more than $71.8\,\%$ are everywhere locally soluble but fail the Hasse principle due to the Brauer–Manin obstruction. We further show that these proportions rise to at least $99.9\,\%$ and $96.7\,\%$, respectively, when $f_0$ has sufficiently many prime divisors of odd multiplicity. Our result can be viewed as a strong asymptotic form of ‘Faltings plus epsilon’ for superelliptic equations and constitutes an analogue of Bhargava's result that most hyperelliptic curves over $\mathbb {Q}$ have no rational points.