A relative version of the Beilinson-Hodge conjecture

Abstract

Let k be an algebraically closed subfield of the complex numbers, and X a variety defined over k. One version of the Beilinson-Hodge conjecture that seems to survive scrutiny is the statement that the Betti cycle class map cl_{r,m} : H_M^{2r-m}(k(X),Q(r)) -> hom_{MHS}(Q(0),H^{2r-m}(k(X)(C),Q(r))) is surjective, that being equivalent to the Hodge conjecture in the case m=0. Now consider a smooth and proper map \rho : X -> S of smooth quasi-projective varieties over k. We formulate a version of this conjecture for the generic fibre, expecting the corresponding cycle class map to be surjective. We provide some evidence in support of this in the case where X is a product, the map is the projection to one factor, and m=1.