Using a new approach starting with a residue computation, we sharpen some of the known estimates for the counting function of friable integers. The improved accuracy turns out to be crucial for various applications, some of which concern fundamental questions in probabilistic number theory.

Let $M$ be the Shimura variety associated to the group of spinor similitudes of a quadratic space over $\mathbb{Q}$ of signature $(n,2)$. We prove a conjecture of Bruinier and Yang, relating the arithmetic intersection multiplicities of special divisors and complex multiplication points on $M$ to the central derivatives of certain $L$-functions. Each such $L$-function is the Rankin–Selberg convolution associated with a cusp form of half-integral weight $n/2+1$, and the weight $n/2$ theta series of a positive definite quadratic space of rank $n$. When $n=1$ the Shimura variety $M$ is a classical quaternionic Shimura curve, and our result is a variant of the Gross–Zagier theorem on heights of Heegner points.

We prove that spin groups act generically freely on various spinor modules, in the sense of group schemes and in a way that does not depend on the characteristic of the base field. As a consequence, we extend the surprising calculation of the essential dimension of spin groups and half-spin groups in characteristic zero by Brosnan et al. [Essential dimension, spinor groups, and quadratic forms, Ann. of Math. (2) 171 (2010), 533–544], and Chernousov and Merkurjev [Essential dimension of spinor and Clifford groups, Algebra Number Theory 8 (2014), 457–472] to fields of characteristic different from two. We also complete the determination of generic stabilizers in spin and half-spin groups of low rank.

We show that the Craighero–Gattazzo surface, the minimal resolution of an explicit complex quintic surface with four elliptic singularities, is simply connected. This was conjectured by Dolgachev and Werner, who proved that its fundamental group has a trivial profinite completion. The Craighero–Gattazzo surface is the only explicit example of a smooth simply connected complex surface of geometric genus zero with ample canonical class. We hope that our method will find other applications: to prove a topological fact about a complex surface we use an algebraic reduction mod $p$ technique and deformation theory.

Smooth cubic hypersurfaces $X\subset \mathbb{P}^{5}$ (over $\mathbb{C}$) are linked to K3 surfaces via their Hodge structures, due to the work of Hassett, and via a subcategory ${\mathcal{A}}_{X}\subset \text{D}^{\text{b}}(X)$, due to the work of Kuznetsov. The relation between these two viewpoints has recently been elucidated by Addington and Thomas. In this paper, both aspects are studied further and extended to twisted K3 surfaces, which in particular allows us to determine the group of autoequivalences of ${\mathcal{A}}_{X}$ for the general cubic fourfold. Furthermore, we prove finiteness results for cubics with equivalent K3 categories and study periods of cubics in terms of generalized K3 surfaces.

Khovanov–Lauda–Rouquier (KLR) algebras of finite Lie type come with families of standard modules, which under the Khovanov–Lauda–Rouquier categorification correspond to PBW bases of the positive part of the corresponding quantized enveloping algebra. We show that there are no non-zero homomorphisms between distinct standard modules and that all non-zero endomorphisms of a standard module are injective. We present applications to the extensions between standard modules and modular representation theory of KLR algebras.

If $(G,V)$ is a polar representation with Cartan subspace $\mathfrak{c}$ and Weyl group $W$, it is shown that there is a natural morphism of Poisson schemes $\mathfrak{c}\oplus \mathfrak{c}^{\ast }/W\rightarrow V\oplus V^{\ast }/\!\!/\!\!/G$. This morphism is conjectured to be an isomorphism of the underlying reduced varieties if$(G,V)$ is visible. The conjecture is proved for visible stable locally free polar representations and some other examples.