Frobenius--Tschirnhausen ampleness

Abstract

We study smooth projective varieties whose Frobenius-trace kernel, also known as the Tschirnhausen bundle associated with the Frobenius morphism, is ample. We show that any non-constant morphism out of such a variety must be finite onto its image, providing strong evidence that these varieties must be Fano varieties of Picard rank 1. Using infinitesimal representation theory and by constructing special Frobenius splittings, we show that generalized Grassmannian of classical type and type $\mathrm{G}_2$ have ample Frobenius-trace kernel, with the exception of certain low characteristic examples which are explained by the existence of exotic isogenies of the associated algebraic groups.