algebraic geometry Algebraic geometry is a branch of mathematics which uses abstract algebraic techniques, mainly from commutative algebra, to solve geometry, geometrical problems. Classically, it studies zero of a function, zeros of multivariate polynomials; th ...

, a Dwork family is a one-parameter family of

hypersurface In geometry, a hypersurface is a generalization of the concepts of hyperplane, plane curve, and surface. A hypersurface is a manifold or an algebraic variety of dimension , which is embedded in an ambient space of dimension , generally a Euclidea ...

s depending on an integer ''n'', studied by

Bernard Dwork Bernard Morris Dwork (May 27, 1923 – May 9, 1998) was an American mathematician, known for his application of ''p''-adic analysis to local zeta functions, and in particular for a proof of the first part of the Weil conjectures: the rationality ...

. Originally considered by Dwork in the context of

local zeta-function In mathematics, the local zeta function (sometimes called the congruent zeta function or the Hasse–Weil zeta function) is defined as :Z(V, s) = \exp\left(\sum_^\infty \frac (q^)^k\right) where is a non-singular -dimensional projective algeb ...

s, such families have been shown to have relationships with

mirror symmetry In mathematics, reflection symmetry, line symmetry, mirror symmetry, or mirror-image symmetry is symmetry with respect to a Reflection (mathematics), reflection. That is, a figure which does not change upon undergoing a reflection has reflecti ...

and extensions of the

modularity theorem In number theory, the modularity theorem states that elliptic curves over the field of rational numbers are related to modular forms in a particular way. Andrew Wiles and Richard Taylor proved the modularity theorem for semistable elliptic c ...

Definition

The Dwork family is given by the equations :

x_1^n + x_2^n +\cdots +x_n^n = -n\lambda x_1x_2\cdots x_n \, ,

for all

n\ge 1

History

The Dwork family was originally used by B. Dwork to develop the

deformation theory In mathematics, deformation theory is the study of infinitesimal conditions associated with varying a solution ''P'' of a problem to slightly different solutions ''P''ε, where ε is a small number, or a vector of small quantities. The infinitesima ...

of zeta functions of nonsingular hypersurfaces in

projective space In mathematics, the concept of a projective space originated from the visual effect of perspective, where parallel lines seem to meet ''at infinity''. A projective space may thus be viewed as the extension of a Euclidean space, or, more generally ...

References

* Algebraic geometry {{algebraic-geometry-stub