On the classifying space of a linear algebraic group. I. (Q466551)

The aim of this paper is to generalize the construction of the Chow groups of the classifying space of a linear algebraic field \(k\), as given by \textit{B. Totaro} [The Chow ring of a classifying space. Algebraic \(K\)-theory, Proc. Symp. Pure Math. 67, 249--281 (1999; Zbl 0967.14005)]. Let \(G\) be a linear algebraic group over \(k\). There exist linear representations \(E\) of \(G\) with an open \(U\) which is \(G\)-stable and is the total space of a \(G\)-torsor with \(c=\text{cod}_E(E-U)\) arbitrary large. Then, by fixing \(n\gg 0\), the Chow group \(\text{CH}^n(BG)= \text{CH}^n(U/G)\) is independent of the choice of \(E\) and \(U\), if \(c>n\). In order to put the above results into a more general framework the authors start with well-known properties for Chow groups. Let \(X\) be a smooth variety over a field \(k\). We consider the following 2 properties \[ \begin{gathered} {\mathcal H}:\text{CH}^n(X)\simeq \text{CH}^n(V)\text{ if }V\text{ is a fibre bundle on }X,\\ {\mathcal P}: \text{CH}^n(X)\simeq\text{CH}^n(U)\text{ if }U\subset X\text{ is open with cod}_X(X- U)> n.\end{gathered} \] The properties above can be interpreted as making invertible certain morphisms between smooth varieties. The situation can be generalized as follows. Let \(Sm_{fl}\) be the category of smooth and separated schemes over \(k\) of finite type with maps given by flat morphisms. For every \(n\geq 1\) consider the classes of morphisms in \(Sm_{fl}\) given by projections \(V\to X\), where \(V\) is a fibre bundle over \(X\) and \(U\to X\) with \(U\) open in and \(\text{cod}_X(X- U)> n\). Let \(Grp\) be the category of linear algebraic \(k\)-groups, with morphisms the \(k\)-homomorphisms. There is a functor \(G\to B_nG\) from \(Grp\) to the category \(S^{-1}Sm_{fl}\). Every functor \(F\) on \(Sm_{fl}\) satisfying properties \({\mathcal H}\) and \({\mathcal P}\) factorizes trough a functor \(\overline F\) on \(S^{-1}Sm_{fl}\), so that one can define \(F(BG)=\overline F(B_n(G)\). Then the authors apply these results to examples of functors which generalize the case of Chow groups: étale cohomology, motivic cohomology, étale motivic cohomology, motivic homology, algebraic \(K\)-theory and the cycles cohomology defined by Rost. In particular the paper contains a computation of the étale motivic cohomology of \(BG\) when \(G\) is a constant finite group over a field \(k\).