Hyperbolic involutions (Q1323457)

Let \(A\) be a finite-dimensional central simple algebra over a field \(F\). If \(V\) is an irreducible left \(A\)-module, then \(D = \text{End}_ A(V)\) is a division algebra and \(A = \text{End}_ D(V)\). Suppose \(D\) has an involution \(^ -: d \mapsto \overline{d}\). It is well-known that every involution \(\sigma\) on \(A\) such that \(\sigma(x) = \overline{x}\) for all \(x \in F\) is the adjoint involution with respect to some \(\lambda\)-Hermitian form \(h\) on \(V\). The purpose of this paper is to show how certain properties of the form \(h\) translate to properties of the adjoint involution \(\sigma\), assuming that the characteristic of \(F\) is different from 2. In particular, hyperbolic forms \(h\) are characterized in terms of the adjoint involution \(\sigma\). It is shown that \(h\) is hyperbolic if and only if \(A\) contains an idempotent \(e\) such that \(\sigma(e) = 1 - e\), if and only if \(A\) has a stable decomposition: \((A,\sigma) \simeq (M_ 2(F),\tau) \otimes_ F(A',\sigma')\) where \(\tau\) is the adjoint involution with respect to a hyperbolic symmetric or alternating form of dimension 2. The involution \(\sigma\) is then called hyperbolic. The involutions which become hyperbolic under a quadratic field extension are described next. As an application, necessary and sufficient conditions for \((A,\sigma)\) to be indecomposable are derived when \(D\) is a quaternion algebra. Odd-degree field extensions are investigated in the final section, where the following ``odd-cancellation'' property is proved: suppose \((A,\sigma)\) and \((B,\tau)\) are central simple \(F\)- algebras with involution of the first kind. If the involution \(\sigma \otimes \tau\) on \(A \otimes B\) is hyperbolic and the degree of \(B\) is odd, then \(\sigma\) is hyperbolic.