Witt's theorem for noncommutative conic curves (Q726713)

In classical commutative projective geometry over some fixed base field \(k\), a smooth projective curve of genus zero \(X\) with a \(k\)-rational point \(P\) is isomorphic to \(\mathbb{P}^1\cong \mathrm{Proj}(\bigoplus_i H^0(X, \mathcal{O}_X(P)^{\otimes i}))\). A \textit{noncommutative (homogeneous) curve} [\textit{D. Kussin}, Mem. Am. Math. Soc. 942, 1--128 (2009; Zbl 1184.14001)] is modelled by a certain category which shares important properties with the category of coherent sheaves over a (classical) smooth projective curve. The \textit{genus zero} assumption translates to having a tilting object (as in the classical commutative case). The notion of a \textit{noncommutative \(\mathbb{P}^1\)-bundle} due to \textit{M. Van den Bergh} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 364, No. 12, 6279--6313 (2012; Zbl 1345.14009)] arises from a noncommutative analog of the symmetric algebra \(\mathbb{S}^{\mathrm{nc}}(N)\) of a bimodule \(N\) (over a pair of field extensions, or more generally as shown in this paper over a pair of noetherian \(k\)-algebras). This is a concretely defined category denoted by \(\mathbb{P}^{\mathrm{nc}}(N)\). This paper shows that noncommutative curves of genus zero are isomorphic to noncommutative projective lines. The proof goes through an extension of the notion of a noncommutative \(\mathbb{P}^1\)-bundle to the case of bimodules over arbitrary noetherian \(k\)-algebras, then establishing an equivalence between a category related to \(H\) (namely, the unique locally noetherian category whose subcategory of Noetherian objects is \(H\)) and a category of the form \(\mathbb{P}^{\mathrm{nc}}(M)\). This improves results from earlier works, in which similar results were established under additional assumptions (namely, commutativity of endomorphism rings of line bundles over the curve), and, back to the commutative case, shows that even if a smooth commutative curve of genus zero has no rational point it is still isomorphic to a \textit{noncommutative} projective line. In particular it now applies also for commutative nondegenerate conics without \(k\)-rational points. The paper concludes by introducing isomorphism invariants for arbitrary noncommutative curves of genus zero; these are certain finite \(k\)-dimensional division algebras whose isomorphisms capture the noncommutative \(\mathbb{P}^1\)-bundle structure of a given noncommutative curve of genus zero. When applied again to commutative conics these invariants become the quaternion algebras whose associated Severi-Brauer varieties are the conics.