We study the real components of modular curves. Our main result is an
abstract group-theoretic description of the real components of a modular curve
defined by a congruence subgroup of level N in terms of the corresponding
subgroup of SL_2(Z/NZ). We apply this result to several families of modular
curves (such as X_0(N), X_1(N), etc.) to obtain formulas for the number of real
components.
The study of the projective coordinate ring of the (geometric invariant
theory) moduli space of n ordered points on P^1 up to automorphisms began with
Kempe in 1894, who proved that the ring is generated in degree one in the main
(n even, unit weight) case. We describe the relations among the invariants for
all possible weights. In the main case, we show that up to the symmetric group
symmetry, there is a single equation. For n not 6, it is a simple quadratic
binomial relation.
The study of the projective coordinate ring of the (geometric invariant
theory) moduli space of n ordered points on P^1 up to automorphisms began with
Kempe in 1894, who proved that the ring is generated in degree one in the main
(n even, unit weight) case. We describe the relations among the invariants for
all possible weights. In the main case, we show that up to the symmetric group
symmetry, there is a single equation. For n not 6, it is a simple quadratic
binomial relation.
Consider the projective coordinate ring of the GIT quotient (P^1)^n//SL(2),
with the usual linearization, where n is even. In 1894, Kempe proved that this
ring is generated in degree one. In [HMSV2] we showed that, over the rationals,
the relations between degree one invariants are generated by a class of
quadratic relations -- the simplest binomial relations -- with the exception of
n=6, where there is a single cubic relation. The purpose of this paper is to
show that these results hold over Z[1/12!], and to suggest why they may be true
over Z[1/6].
Consider the projective coordinate ring of the GIT quotient (P^1)^n//SL(2),
with the usual linearization, where n is even. In 1894, Kempe proved that this
ring is generated in degree one. In [HMSV2] we showed that, over the rationals,
the relations between degree one invariants are generated by a class of
quadratic relations -- the simplest binomial relations -- with the exception of
n=6, where there is a single cubic relation. The purpose of this paper is to
show that these results hold over Z[1/12!], and to suggest why they may be true
over Z[1/6].
Clozel, Harris and Taylor have recently proved a modularity lifting theorem
of the following general form: if rho is an l-adic representation of the
absolute Galois group of a number field for which the residual representation
rho-bar comes from a modular form then so does rho. This theorem has numerous
hypotheses; a crucial one is that the image of rho-bar must be "big," a
technical condition on subgroups of GL(n). In this paper we investigate this
condition in compatible systems.