Assuming a particular case of the Borisov–Alexeev–Borisov conjecture, we prove that finite subgroups of the automorphism group of a finitely generated field over $\mathbb{Q}$ have bounded orders. Further, we investigate which algebraic varieties have groups of birational selfmaps satisfying the Jordan property. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, all varieties are assumed to be algebraic, geometrically irreducible and defined over an arbitrary field $\Bbbk$ of characteristic zero.

Let (A, ) be a local hypersurface with an isolated singularity. We show that Hochster's theta pairing θA vanishes on elements that are numerically equivalent to zero in the Grothendieck group of A under the mild assumption that Spec A admits a resolution of singularities. This extends a result by Celikbas-Walker. We also prove that when dimA = 3, Hochster's theta pairing is positive semi-definite. These results combine to show that the counter-example of Dutta-Hochster-McLaughlin to the general vanishing of Serre's intersection multiplicity exists for any three dimensional isolated hypersurface singularity that is not a UFD and has a desingularization. We also show that, if A is three dimensional isolated hypersurface singularity that has a desingularization, the divisor class group is finitely generated torsion-free. Our method involves showing that θA gives a bivariant class for the morphism Spec (A/) → Spec A.

The local class group of a Krull domain A is the quotient group G(A) = CI(A)/Pic(A). A Krull domain A is locally factorial if and only if G(A) = 0. In this paper, we characterize the Krull domains for which G(A) is a torsion group. We evaluate the local class group of several examples and finally, we explain why every abelian group is the local class group of a Krull domain.