Given a perfect field $k$ with algebraic closure $\overline {k}$ and a variety $X$ over $\overline {k}$, the field of moduli of $X$ is the subfield of $\overline {k}$ of elements fixed by field automorphisms $\gamma \in \operatorname {Gal}(\overline {k}/k)$ such that the Galois conjugate $X_{\gamma }$ is isomorphic to $X$. The field of moduli is contained in all subextensions $k\subset k'\subset \overline {k}$ such that $X$ descends to $k'$. In this paper, we extend the formalism and define the field of moduli when $k$ is not perfect. Furthermore, Dèbes and Emsalem identified a condition that ensures that a smooth curve is defined over its field of moduli, and prove that a smooth curve with a marked point is always defined over its field of moduli. Our main theorem is a generalization of these results that applies to higher-dimensional varieties, and to varieties with additional structures. In order to apply this, we study the problem of when a rational point of a variety with quotient singularities lifts to a resolution. As a consequence, we prove that a variety $X$ of dimension $d$ with a smooth marked point $p$ such that $\operatorname {Aut}(X,p)$ is finite, étale and of degree prime to $d!$ is defined over its field of moduli.

We describe the Galois action on the middle $\ell $ -adic cohomology of smooth, projective fourfolds $K_A(v)$ that occur as a fiber of the Albanese morphism on moduli spaces of sheaves on an abelian surface A with Mukai vector v. We show this action is determined by the action on $H^2_{\mathrm {\acute{e}t}}(A_{\bar {k}},{\mathbb Q}_{\ell }(1))$ and on a subgroup $G_A(v) \leqslant (A\times \hat {A})[3]$ , which depends on v. This generalizes the analysis carried out by Hassett and Tschinkel over ${\mathbb C}$ [21]. As a consequence, over number fields, we give a condition under which $K_2(A)$ and $K_2(\hat {A})$ are not derived equivalent.

The points of $G_A(v)$ correspond to involutions of $K_A(v)$ . Over ${\mathbb C}$ , they are known to be symplectic and contained in the kernel of the map $\operatorname {\mathrm {Aut}}(K_A(v))\to \mathrm {O}(H^2(K_A(v),{\mathbb Z}))$ . We describe this kernel for all varieties $K_A(v)$ of dimension at least $4$ .

When $K_A(v)$ is a fourfold over a field of characteristic 0, the fixed-point loci of the involutions contain K3 surfaces whose cycle classes span a large portion of the middle cohomology. We examine the fixed-point locus on fourfolds $K_A(0,l,s)$ over ${\mathbb C}$ where A is $(1,3)$ -polarized, finding the K3 surface to be elliptically fibered under a Lagrangian fibration of $K_A(0,l,s)$ .

In this note, we prove the semiampleness conjecture for Kawamata log terminal Calabi–Yau (CY) surface pairs over an excellent base ring. As applications, we deduce that generalized abundance and Serrano’s conjecture hold for surfaces. Finally, we study the semiampleness conjecture for CY threefolds over a mixed characteristic DVR.

Let ${\mathcal{X}}$ be a regular variety, flat and proper over a complete regular curve over a finite field such that the generic fiber $X$ is smooth and geometrically connected. We prove that the Brauer group of ${\mathcal{X}}$ is finite if and only Tate’s conjecture for divisors on $X$ holds and the Tate–Shafarevich group of the Albanese variety of $X$ is finite, generalizing a theorem of Artin and Grothendieck for surfaces to arbitrary relative dimension. We also give a formula relating the orders of the group under the assumption that they are finite, generalizing the known formula for a surface.

Given systems of two (inhomogeneous) quadratic equations in four variables, it is known that the Hasse principle for integral points may fail. Sometimes this failure can be explained by some integral Brauer–Manin obstruction. We study the existence of a non-trivial algebraic part of the Brauer group for a family of such systems and show that the failure of the integral Hasse principle due to an algebraic Brauer–Manin obstruction is rare, as for a generic choice of a system the algebraic part of the Brauer-group is trivial. We use resolvent constructions to give quantitative upper bounds on the number of exceptions.

We give a formula relating the order of the Brauer group of a surface fibered over a curve over a finite field to the order of the Tate–Shafarevich group of the Jacobian of the generic fiber. The formula implies that the Brauer group of a smooth and proper surface over a finite field is a square if it is finite.

Which algebraic surfaces occur as covers of moduli spaces for curves? We show that surfaces of a special type over number fields do, with possible exception for non-elliptic K3 surfaces.

The Griffiths group $\text{G}{{\text{r}}^{r}}\left( X \right)$ of a smooth projective variety $X$ over an algebraically closed field is defined to be the group of homologically trivial algebraic cycles of codimension $r$ on $X$ modulo the subgroup of algebraically trivial algebraic cycles. The main result of this paper is that the Griffiths group $\text{G}{{\text{r}}^{2}}\left( {{A}_{{\bar{k}}}} \right)$ of a supersingular abelian variety ${{A}_{{\bar{k}}}}$ over the algebraic closure of a finite field of characteristic $p$ is at most a $p$-primary torsion group. As a corollary the same conclusion holds for supersingular Fermat threefolds. In contrast, using methods of $\text{C}$. Schoen it is also shown that if the Tate conjecture is valid for all smooth projective surfaces and all finite extensions of the finite ground field $k$ of characteristic $p\,>\,2$, then the Griffiths group of any ordinary abelian threefold ${{A}_{{\bar{k}}}}$ over the algebraic closure of $k$ is non-trivial; in fact, for all but a finite number of primes $\ell \,\ne \,p$ it is the case that $\text{G}{{\text{r}}^{2}}\left( {{A}_{{\bar{k}}}} \right)\,\otimes \,{{\mathbb{Z}}_{\ell }}\,\ne \,0$.