Betti number bounds for varieties and exponential sums

Using basic properties of perverse sheaves, we give new upper bounds for compactly supported Betti numbers for arbitrary affine varieties in $\mathbb{A}^n$ defined by $r$ polynomial equations of degrees at most $d$. As arithmetic applications, new total degree bounds are obtained for zeta functions of varieties and L-functions of exponential sums over finite fields, improving the classical results of Bombieri, Katz, and Adolphson--Sperber. In the complete intersection case, our total Betti number bound is asymptotically optimal as a function in $d$. In general, it remains an open problem to find an asymptotically optimal bound as a function in $d$.