For a subring $R$ of the rational numbers, we study $R$-localization functors in the local homotopy theory of simplicial presheaves on a small site and then in ${\mathbb {A}}^1$-homotopy theory. To this end, we introduce and analyze two notions of nilpotence for spaces in ${\mathbb {A}}^1$-homotopy theory, paying attention to future applications for vector bundles. We show that $R$-localization behaves in a controlled fashion for the nilpotent spaces we consider. We show that the classifying space $BGL_n$ is ${\mathbb {A}}^1$-nilpotent when $n$ is odd, and analyze the (more complicated) situation where $n$ is even as well. We establish analogs of various classical results about rationalization in the context of ${\mathbb {A}}^1$-homotopy theory: if $-1$ is a sum of squares in the base field, ${\mathbb {A}}^n \,{\setminus}\, 0$ is rationally equivalent to a suitable motivic Eilenberg–Mac Lane space, and the special linear group decomposes as a product of motivic spheres.

We develop methods for constructing explicit generators, modulo torsion, of the $K_3$-groups of imaginary quadratic number fields. These methods are based on either tessellations of hyperbolic $3$-space or on direct calculations in suitable pre-Bloch groups and lead to the very first proven examples of explicit generators, modulo torsion, of any infinite $K_3$-group of a number field. As part of this approach, we make several improvements to the theory of Bloch groups for $ K_3 $ of any field, predict the precise power of $2$ that should occur in the Lichtenbaum conjecture at $ -1 $ and prove that this prediction is valid for all abelian number fields.

We study relationships between the Nisnevich topology on smooth schemes and certain Grothendieck topologies on proper and not necessarily proper modulus pairs, which were introduced in previous papers. Our results play an important role in the theory of sheaves with transfers on proper modulus pairs.

We prove that the essential dimension of central simple algebras of degree $p^{\ell m}$ and exponent $p^{m}$ over fields $F$ containing a base-field $k$ of characteristic $p$ is at least $\ell +1$ when $k$ is perfect. We do this by observing that the $p$-rank of $F$ bounds the symbol length in $\text{Br}_{p^{m}}(F)$ and that there exist indecomposable $p$-algebras of degree $p^{\ell m}$ and exponent $p^{m}$. We also prove that the symbol length of the Kato-Milne cohomology group $\text{H}_{p^{m}}^{n+1}(F)$ is bounded from above by $\binom{r}{n}$ where $r$ is the $p$-rank of the field, and provide upper and lower bounds for the essential dimension of Brauer classes of a given symbol length.

We start developing a notion of reciprocity sheaves, generalizing Voevodsky’s homotopy invariant presheaves with transfers which were used in the construction of his triangulated categories of motives. We hope that reciprocity sheaves will eventually lead to the definition of larger triangulated categories of motivic nature, encompassing non-homotopy invariant phenomena.

We prove that the K-group of reciprocity functors, defined by F. Ivorra and the first author, vanishes over a perfect field as soon as one of the reciprocity functors is and one is an abelian variety.

Let F be a field, let G = Gal(/F) be its absolute Galois group, and let R(G,k) be the representation ring of G over a suitable field k. In this preprint we construct a ring homomorphism from the mod 2 Milnor K-theory k*(F) to the graded ring grR(G,k) associated to Grothendieck's γ-filtration. We study this map in particular cases, as well as a related map involving the W-group of F, rather than G. The latter is an isomorphism in all cases considered.

Naturally this echoes the Milnor conjecture (now a theorem), which states that k*(F) is isomorphic to the mod 2 cohomology of the absolute Galois group G, and to the graded Witt ring grW(F).

The machinery developed to obtain the above results seems to have independent interest in algebraic topology. We are led to construct an analog of the classical Chern character, which does not involve complex vector bundles and Chern classes but rather real vector bundles and Stiefel-Whitney classes. Thus we show the existence of a ring homomorphism whose source is the graded ring associated to the corresponding K-theory ring KO(X) of the topological space X, again with respect to the γ-filtration, and whose target is a certain subquotient of H*(X, F2).

In order to define this subquotient, we introduce a collection of distinguished Steenrod operations. They are related to Stiefel-Whitney classes by combinatorial identities.

We introduce a Milnor type K-group associated to commutative algebraic groups over a perfect field. It is an additive variant of Somekawa's K-group. We show that the K-group associated to the additive group and q multiplicative groups of a field is isomorphic to the space of absolute Kähler differentials of degree q of the field, thus giving us a geometric interpretation of the space of absolute Kähler differentials. We also show that the K-group associated to the additive group and Jacobian variety of a curve is isomorphic to the homology group of a certain complex.

We show how the techniques of Voevodsky’s proof of the Milnor conjecture and the Voevodsky–Rost proof of its generalization the Bloch–Kato conjecture can be used to study counterexamples to the classical Lüroth problem. By generalizing a method due to Peyre, we produce for any prime number $\ell $ and any integer $n\geq 2$, a rationally connected, non-rational variety for which non-rationality is detected by a non-trivial degree $n$ unramified étale cohomology class with $\ell $-torsion coefficients. When $\ell = 2$, the varieties that are constructed are furthermore unirational and non-rationality cannot be detected by a torsion unramified étale cohomology class of lower degree.

Let p be a prime and F a field of characteristic different from p. Suppose all p-primary roots of unity are contained in F. Let α ∈ pBr(F) which has a cyclic splitting field. We prove that γi(α) = 0 for all i ≥ 2, where γi : pBr(F) → K2i(F)/pK2i(F) are the divided power operations of degree p. We also show that if char F ≠ 2, √−1 ∈ F*. D ∈2 Br(F), indD = 8 and a ∈ F* such that ind DF(√a) = 4, then γ3(D) = {a,s}γ2(D) for some s ∈ F*. Consequently, we prove that if D, considered as a division algebra, has a subfield of degree 4 of certain type, then γ3(D) = 0. At the end of the paper we pose a few open questions.

We state and prove an important special case of Suslin reciprocity that has found significant use in the study of algebraic cycles. An introductory account is provided of the regulator and norm maps on Milnor ${{K}_{2}}$-groups (for function fields) employed in the proof.

Let $X$ be a projective smooth variety over a field $k$. In the first part we show that an indecomposable element in $C{{H}^{2}}\left( X,\,1 \right)$ can be lifted to an indecomposable element in $C{{H}^{3}}\left( {{X}_{K}},\,2 \right)$ where $K$ is the function field of 1 variable over $k$. We also show that if $X$ is the self-product of an elliptic curve over $\mathbb{Q}$ then the $\mathbb{Q}$-vector space of indecomposable cycles $CH_{ind}^{3}{{\left( {{X}_{\mathbb{C}}},\,2 \right)}_{\mathbb{Q}}}$ is infinite dimensional.

In the second part we give a new definition of the group of indecomposable cycles of $C{{H}^{3}}\left( X,\,2 \right)$ and give an example of non-torsion cycle in this group.