Universal Weil cohomology

Abstract

We construct a new Weil cohomology for smooth projective varieties over a field, universal among Weil cohomologies with values in rigid additive tensor categories. A similar universal problem for Weil cohomologies with values in rigid abelian tensor categories also has a solution. We give a variant for Weil cohomologies satisfying more axioms, like Weak and Hard Lefschetz. As a consequence, we get a different construction of Andr\'e's category of motives for motivated correspondences and show that it has a universal property. This theory extends over suitable bases.