On the decomposition of cyclic algebras (Q677432)

Let \(K/F\) be a cyclic field extension of degree \(n=ef\), with automorphism \(\sigma\), and denote the subfield of \(K\) fixed by \(\sigma^e\) by \(L\). Given \(a\in F^*\), the cyclic algebra \(A=(K/F,\sigma,a)\) is said to have the property \(D(f)\) if it can be written as a tensor product of a cyclic algebra of degree \(e\) containing \(L\) and a cyclic algebra of degree \(f\) containing an \(f\)-th root of \(a\). This paper is devoted to an investigation of the property \(D(f)\) for various \(f\). The cyclic extension \(K/F\) is specified by a character \(\chi\) of the absolute Galois group of \(F\) and the Brauer class of the algebra \(A\) corresponds to the cup product \(\chi\vee a\) under the natural isomorphism and the authors describe a decomposition of \(\chi\vee a\) which characterizes \(D(f)\). It is easily seen that \(D(f)\) holds whenever \(e\) is prime to \(f\); this allows one to assume that \(n\) is a prime power. Further it is shown that every cyclic algebra of degree and exponent 2 has \(D(2)\). For prime power order splitting criteria are obtained as follows. Assume that the degree of \(A\) is a power of \(p\), that \(x^p=a\) has no solution in \(L\) and let \(\alpha\) be a solution in \(K\); further denote by \(\zeta\) a primitive \(p\)-th root of 1 in \(K\). Then \(A=(K/F_\sigma,a)\) satisfies \(D(p)\) if and only if either \(\alpha\in L\) or \(L(\alpha)\) contains \(u\) whose norm in \(F(\alpha)\) is \(\zeta\) and in \(L\) is 1, or writing \(K=L(\delta)\), we have \(\delta^p\in L\) and \(\delta^p\) is product of an element of \(F\) by a norm from \(L(\alpha)\) to \(L\). As a further example consider the following construction [\textit{R. Brauer}, Tôhoku Math. J. 37, 77-87 (1933; Zbl 0007.39501), see also \textit{L. H. Rowen}, Ring Theory. II (Academic Press 1988; Zbl 0651.16002), p. 244 ff.]. Let \(q\), \(n\) and \(t\) be positive powers of a prime \(p\), let \(E\) be an extension of the rationals generated by a primitive \(q\)-th root \(\zeta_q\) of 1 and \(t\) commuting indeterminates and let \(\sigma\) be the automorphism of \(E\) permuting these indeterminates cyclically. The fixed field of \(\sigma^n\), \(K_{q,n,t}\) is a cyclic extension of degree \(n\) of \(K_{q,l,t}\) and so \(R_{q,n,t}=(K_{q,n,t}/K_{q,l,t},\sigma,\zeta_q)\) is a cyclic algebra, which is a division algebra of degree \(n\) and exponent \(qn/t\) whenever \(n\leq t<qn\) [see Rowen, l.c. p. 247]. The authors now prove that if \(p\) is odd, then \(R_{q,p^2,pq}\) does not satisfy \(D(p)\) while for \(p=2\), \(R_{2,8,8}\) does not satisfy \(D(2)\). This leads to examples showing that the cyclicity criterion of \textit{T. Y. Lam}, \textit{D. B. Leep} and \textit{J.-P. Tignol} [Publ. Math., Inst. Hautes Étud. Sci. 77, 63-102 (1993; Zbl 0801.11048)] for biquaternion algebras does not extend to algebras of higher degree. A final remark (using Prop. 7.3.66 in Rowen, l.c.) produces an indecomposable cyclic division algebra of degree \(p^2\) and exponent \(p\), for any odd prime \(p\).