A Recursive Method for Computing Zeta Functions of Varieties

We present an algorithm that reduces the problem of calculating a numerical approximation to the action of absolute Frobenius on the middle-dimensional rigid cohomology of a smooth projective variety over a finite held, to that of performing the same calculation for a smooth hyperplane section. When combined with standard geometric techniques, this yields a method for computing zeta functions which proceeds ‘by induction on the dimension’. The ‘inductive step’ combines previous work of the author on the deformation of Frobenius with a higher rank generalisation of Kedlaya's algorithm. The analysis of the loss of precision during the algorithm uses a deep theorem of Christol and Dwork on p-adic solutions to differential systems at regular singular points. We apply our algorithm to compute the zeta functions of compactifications of certain surfaces which are double covers of the affine plane.

Classification of Algebraic Surfaces with Sectional Genus less than or Equal to Six. II: Ruled Surfaces with dim ϕKx⊗L(x) = l

Let L be a very ample line bundle on a smooth, connected, projective, ruled not rational surface X. We have considered the problem of classifying biholomorphically smooth, connected, projected, ruled, non rational surfaces X with smooth hyperplane section C such that the genus g = g(C) is less than or equal to six and dim where is the map associated to . L. Roth in [10] had given a birational classification of such surfaces. If g = 0 or 1 then X has been classified, see [8].If g = 2 ≠ hl,0(X) by [12, Lemma (2.2.2) ] it follows that X is a rational surface. Thus we can assume g ≦ 3.Since X is ruled, h2,0(X) = 0 andsee [4] and [12, p. 390].