Some consequences of the Karpenko-Merkurjev theorem. (Q612987)

The essential dimension of a covariant functor \(F\colon\mathrm{Fields}_k\to\mathrm{Sets}\) is defined as the least integer \(n\) such that for every field extension \(K/k\) and every \(a\in F(K)\) there exists an intermediate field \(K_0\) of \(K/k\) with \(\mathrm{tdeg}_k(K_0)\leq n\) such that \(a\) lies in the image of the map \(F(K_0)\to F(K)\) induced by the inclusion \(K_0\to K\). In situations of interest the sets \(F(K)\) are isomorphism classes of algebraic objects of a certain kind over the field \(K\) and the maps \(F(K_0)\to F(K)\) are given by scalar extension. If \(G\) is a finite group, the essential dimension \(\mathrm{ed}(G)\) is defined as the essential dimension of the functor \(H^1(-,G)\colon\mathrm{Fields}_k\to\mathrm{Sets}\), which takes a field extension \(K/k\) to the set of isomorphism classes of \(G\)-Galois algebras over \(K\). It was introduced by \textit{J. Buhler} and \textit{Z. Reichstein} [Compos. Math. 106, No. 2, 159-179 (1997; Zbl 0905.12003)]. A recent result by \textit{N. A. Karpenko} and \textit{A. S. Merkurjev} [Invent. Math. 172, No. 3, 491-508 (2008; Zbl 1200.12002)] computes the essential dimension of finite \(p\)-groups over fields \(k\) of characteristic \(\neq p\) containing a primitive \(p\)-th root of unity: \(\mathrm{ed}(G)=\min\dim\rho\), where \(\rho\colon G\to\mathrm{GL}(V)\) runs over all faithful representations of \(G\). The paper under review uses this result to settle several questions about essential dimension: 1) It classifies non-Abelian \(p\)-groups \(G\) of \(\mathrm{ed}(G)\leq p\) (equivalently \(\mathrm{ed}(G)=p\)). Namely these are characterized as those \(p\)-groups whose center is cyclic and which possess an Abelian subgroup of index \(p\). 2) It gives a precise formula for the essential dimension of \(p\)-groups, whose commutator subgroup \([G,G]\) is central and cyclic, when \(k\) contains a primitive root of unity of order \(\exp(G)\). 3) It gives, for every \(\lambda>0\), an example of a \(p\)-group \(G\) and a central subgroup \(H\) with \(\mathrm{ed}(G/H)>\lambda\mathrm{ed}(G)\). 4) It gives (for fields of characteristic \(\neq 2\)) the precise value of \(\mathrm{ed}(\mathrm{SL}_n(\mathbb Z))\), which is \(n-1\) for odd \(n\geq 3\) and \(n\) for even \(n\geq 4\). Here the functor \(H^1(-,\mathrm{SL}_n(\mathbb Z))\colon\mathrm{Fields}_k\to\mathrm{Sets}\) under consideration takes a field extension \(K/k\) to the set of isomorphism classes of \(n\)-dimensional algebraic tori over \(K\) for which the image of the associated representation \(\mathrm{Gal}(k_s/k)\to\mathrm{GL}_n(\mathbb Z)\) is contained in \(\mathrm{SL}_n(\mathbb Z)\). The bounds \(n-1\leq\mathrm{ed}(\mathrm{SL}_n(\mathbb Z))\leq n\) had previously been obtained by \textit{G. Favi} and \textit{M. Florence} [J. Algebra 319, No. 9, 3885-3900 (2008; Zbl 1141.14028)]. An interesting side-result is the following purely group theoretic formula for the essential dimension of \(p\)-groups: Let \(k\) be a field of characteristic \(\neq p\) containing a \(p\)-th root of unity if \(p\geq 3\) and a \(4\)-th root of unity if \(p=2\). Define the sequence \(C_{-1}:=C(G)_p\supset C_0\supset C_1\supset C_2\supset\cdots\), where \(C(G)_p\) is the \(p\)-torsion of the center of \(G\), by letting \(C_i\) be the intersection of all kernels of characters \(C(G)_p\to k^*\) which extend to a multiplicative character of a subgroup of \(G\) of index \(p^i\). Then \[ \mathrm{ed}(G)=\sum_{i=0}^\infty(\dim_{\mathbb F_p}C_{i-1}-\dim_{\mathbb F_p} C_i)p^i. \] A similar formula was established for algebraic tori by \textit{S. Baek} and \textit{A. S. Merkurjev} [Acta Math. 209, No. 1, 1-27 (2012; Zbl 1258.16023)], based on the computation of essential dimension of tori by the two authors, \textit{M. MacDonald} and the reviewer [J. Reine Angew. Math. 677, 1-13 (2013; Zbl 1354.14071)].