Involutions and trace forms on exterior powers of a central simple algebra (Q5934763)

Let \(A\) be a central simple algebra degree \(2n\) over an arbitrary field \(F\). It is known that the exterior power algebra \(\lambda^nA\) is central and simple over \(F\) of degree \((2n!)/((n!)^2)\), and also that it is Brauer-equivalent to the \(n\)-th tensor power of \(A\) over \(F\); in particular, \(\lambda^nA\) is an algebra with an involution of the first kind [see \textit{M.-A. Knus, A. S. Merkurjev, M. Rost} and \textit{J.-P. Tignol}, The book of involutions. Colloq. Publ. Am. Math. Soc. 44, Providence, RI (1998; Zbl 0955.16001)]. As a matter of fact, \(\lambda^nA\) is defined so that when \(A\) is equal to the \(F\)-algebra \(\text{End}_F(W)\) of linear operators of a \(2n\)-dimensional vector space \(W\) over \(F\), there exists a natural \(F\)-isomorphism \(\lambda^nA\cong\text{End}_F(\wedge^nW)\). Moreover, \(\lambda^nA\) is endowed with a canonical involution \(\gamma\) that is adjoint in the special case of \(A=\text{End}_F(W)\) to the bilinear form \(\theta\) defined on \(\wedge^nW\) by the equation \(\theta(X_1\wedge\cdots\wedge X_n,Y_1\wedge\cdots\wedge Y_n)\cdot e=X_1\wedge\cdots\wedge X_n\wedge Y_1\wedge\cdots\wedge Y_n\), where \(e\) is any basis of the one-dimensional vector space \(\wedge^{2n}W\). The paper under review provides a complete description of \(\gamma\) when \(A\) is \(F\)-isomorphic to \(Q\otimes_FB\), for some quaternion algebra \(Q\) and some central simple algebra \(B\) of degree \(n\); this is realized in terms of the reduced norm form of \(Q\) and the corresponding involution of \(B\). The authors point out interesting relations between the topic of the present paper and the study of irreducible representations of simply connected algebraic groups defined over \(F\) of types \(A_{2n-1}\) and \(D_{2n}\).