Videos

Cohen-Macaulayness of Local Models via Shellability of the Admissible Set

April 20, 2026
Abstract
The singularities of integral models of Shimura varieties are encoded in their local models, schemes over the p-adic integers whose special fibers are unions of affine Schubert cells. A fundamental question is whether these local models are Cohen-Macaulay. In this talk, I will present a solution for local models with arbitrary parahoric level structure, valid uniformly across all residue characteristics. The proof is centered on a combinatorial property of the admissible set, which parametrizes the cells in the special fiber. We prove that the admissible set is dual EL-shellable, thereby resolving a conjecture of Görtz from over two decades ago. From this purely combinatorial result, we deduce the Cohen-Macaulay property for the corresponding local models. This work provides a uniform, characteristic-independent approach that contrasts with and complements prior geometric methods. I will explain the key combinatorial ideas and their translation into this geometric consequence.