Let $X/\mathbb {F}_{q}$ be a smooth, geometrically connected, quasi-projective scheme. Let $\mathcal {E}$ be a semi-simple overconvergent $F$-isocrystal on $X$. Suppose that irreducible summands $\mathcal {E}_i$ of $\mathcal {E}$ have rank 2, determinant $\bar {\mathbb {Q}}_p(-1)$, and infinite monodromy at $\infty$. Suppose further that for each closed point $x$ of $X$, the characteristic polynomial of $\mathcal {E}$ at $x$ is in $\mathbb {Q}[t]\subset \mathbb {Q}_p[t]$. Then there exists a dense open subset $U\subset X$ such that $\mathcal {E}|_U$ comes from a family of abelian varieties on $U$. As an application, let $L_1$ be an irreducible lisse $\bar {\mathbb {Q}}_l$ sheaf on $X$ that has rank 2, determinant $\bar {\mathbb {Q}}_l(-1)$, and infinite monodromy at $\infty$. Then all crystalline companions to $L_1$ exist (as predicted by Deligne's crystalline companions conjecture) if and only if there exist a dense open subset $U\subset X$ and an abelian scheme $\pi _U\colon A_U\rightarrow U$ such that $L_1|_U$ is a summand of $R^{1}(\pi _U)_*\bar {\mathbb {Q}}_l$.

We study the singularity at the origin of $\mathbb{C}^{n+1}$ of an arbitrary homogeneous polynomial in $n+1$ variables with complex coefficients, by investigating the monodromy characteristic polynomials $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E5}_{l}(t)$ as well as the relation between the monodromy zeta function and the Hodge spectrum of the singularity. In the case $n=2$, we give a description of $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E5}_{C}(t)=\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E5}_{1}(t)$ in terms of the multiplier ideal.

We compute the Alexander polynomial of a nonreduced nonirreducible complex projective plane curve with mutually coprime orders of vanishing along its irreducible components in terms of certain multiplier ideals.

We describe a general setting where the monodromy action on the first cohomology group of the Milnor fiber of a hyperplane arrangement is the identity.

Using the middle convolution functor MCχ introduced by N. Katz, we prove the existence of rigid local systems whose monodromy is dense in the simple algebraic group G2. We derive the existence of motives for motivated cycles which have a motivic Galois group of type G2. Granting Grothendieck’s standard conjectures, the existence of motives with motivic Galois group of type G2 can be deduced, giving a partial answer to a question of Serre.

I give the necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of Unitary local systems with prescribed local monodromies on $\mathbb P$1 − S where S is a finite set. This is used to give an algorithm to decide if a rigid local system on $\mathbb P$1 − S has finite global monodromy, thereby answering a question of N. Katz. The methods of this article (use of Harder–Narasimhan filtrations) are used to strengthen Klyachko's theorem on sums of Hermitian matrices. In the Appendix, I give a reformulation of Mehta–Seshadri theorem in the SU(n) setting.