Splitting properties of the reduction of semi-abelian varieties

Abstract

Let [Formula: see text] be a complete discrete valuation field. Let [Formula: see text] be its ring of integers. Let [Formula: see text] be its residue field which we assume to be algebraically closed of characteristic exponent [Formula: see text]. Let [Formula: see text] be a semi-abelian variety. Let [Formula: see text] be its Néron model. The special fiber [Formula: see text] is an extension of the identity component [Formula: see text] by the group of components [Formula: see text]. We say that [Formula: see text] has split reduction if this extension is split. Whereas [Formula: see text] has always split reduction if [Formula: see text] we prove that it is no longer the case if [Formula: see text] even if [Formula: see text] is tamely ramified. If [Formula: see text] is the Jacobian variety of a smooth proper and geometrically connected curve [Formula: see text] of genus [Formula: see text], we prove that for any tamely ramified extension [Formula: see text] of degree greater than a constant, depending on [Formula: see text] only, [Formula: see text] has split reduction. This answers some questions of Liu and Lorenzini.