Lower bounds for essential dimensions via orthogonal representations. (Q855966)

Let \(k\) be a field and \(\mathcal F\) be a functor from the category of field extensions of \(k\) to the category of sets. Let \(F/k\) be a field extension of \(k\) and \(\xi\in\mathcal F(F)\). For a field \(k\subset E\subset F\), `\(\xi\) comes from \(E\)' if \(\xi\) belongs to the image of the natural map \(\mathcal F(E)\to\mathcal F(F)\). The essential dimension \(\text{ed}(\xi)\) is defined as the minimum of \(\text{trdeg}_k(E)\) for all extensions \(E\) with \(k\subset E\subset F\) and \(\xi\) comes from \(E\). The essential dimension \(\text{ed}(\mathcal F)\) of the functor \(\mathcal F\) is defined by \(\text{ed}(\mathcal F)=\max\{\text{ed}(\xi)\}\), the maximum is over all pairs \((F,\xi)\), \(k\subset F\) and \(\xi\in\mathcal F(F)\). For a prime \(p\), one defines the essential dimension \(\text{ed}(\xi;p)\) of \(\xi\) at \(p\) by \(\text{ed}(\xi;p)=\min\{\text{ed}(\xi_K)\}\), where \(\xi_K\) denotes the image of \(\xi\) in \(\mathcal F(K)\), the minimum being taken over all extensions \(K/F\) of finite degree prime to \(p\). The essential dimension of \(\mathcal F\) at \(p\) is defined as \(\text{ed}(\mathcal F;p)=\max\{\text{ed}(\xi;p)\}\), the maximum is over all pairs \((F,\xi)\) with \(\xi\in\mathcal F(F)\). One has then \(\text{ed}(\mathcal F)\geq\text{ed}(\mathcal F;p)\) for any prime \(p\). Let \(G\) be an algebraic group defined over \(k\) and let \(\mathcal F\) be the functor \(\mathcal F(F)=H^1(F,G)\), the set of isomorphism classes of \(G\)-torsors over \(F\). The essential dimension of \(G\) (respectively, essential dimension \(\text{ed}(G;p)\) of \(G\) at \(p\)), denoted by \(\text{ed}(G)\) is by definition \(\text{ed}(\mathcal F)\) (respectively, \(\text{ed}(\mathcal F;p)\)). Let \(k\) be algebraically closed. If \(\text{char}(k)=0\), \textit{Z. Reichstein} and \textit{B. Youssin} showed that if \(G\) is a connected linear algebraic group over \(k\) and \(A\subset G\) is an Abelian \(p\)-group whose centralizer in \(G\) is finite, then \(\text{ed}(G;p)\geq\text{rank}(A)\), where \(\text{rank}(A)\) denotes the minimum number of generators of \(A\) [see Can. J. Math. 52, No. 5, 1018-1056 (2000; Zbl 1044.14023)]. The proof of this result (by Reichstein-Youssin) uses equivariant resolution of singularities and hence needs the characteristic of \(k\) to be \(0\). In the paper under review, the authors prove that many of the bounds for \(\text{ed}(G;p)\) obtained in the paper by Reichstein-Youssin quoted above, for the prime \(p=2\), work in arbitrary characteristic (except in characteristic \(2\)). The techniques in the paper use the theory of quadratic forms and orthogonal groups. Some of the results in the paper are: (1.1) If \(G\) is semisimple of adjoint type and \(-1\) belongs to the Weyl group, then \(\text{ed}(G;2)\geq\text{rank}(G)+1\). This implies, in particular, \(\text{ed}(E_8;2)\geq 9\) and \(\text{ed}(E_7;2)\geq 8\). (1.2) \(\text{ed}(\text{Spin}_n;2)\geq [n/2]\) for \(n\geq 7\), \(n\neq 10\), the inequality is strict if \(n\equiv -1\), \(0\) or \(1\pmod 8\). (1.3) \(\text{ed}(\text{HSpin}_n;2)>n/2\) if \(n\geq 8\), \(n\equiv 0\pmod 8\).