Essential dimension of finite groups in prime characteristic

Abstract: Given a finite smooth group scheme

G

over a field of characteristic

p > 0

, we show that the essential dimension of

G

at

p

is

0

when

p

does not divide the order of

G

, and

1

when it does.

Review text

Let $G$ be an algebraic group over a field $F$. Let $K/F$ be a field extension and $\tau: T \to \mathrm{Spec}(K)$ a $G$-torsor. The essential dimension $\mathrm{ed}_F(\tau)$ is the smallest value of the transcendence degree of a field extension $K_0/F$ such that $\tau$ descends to $K_0$. The essential dimension $\mathrm{ed}_F(G)$ is then the maximal value of $\mathrm{ed}_F(\tau)$ as $K$ ranges over all fields containing $F$ and $\tau$ ranges over all $G$-torsors $T \to \mathrm{Spec}(K)$. \par The essential dimensions of finite groups over fields of characteristic $p > 0$ are mostly unknown. For a fixed prime $p$ one can alternatively consider the essential dimension $\mathrm{ed}_F(G;p)$ of $G$ at $p$ in which case we consider only fields $K$ in the definition which are $p$-closed. The main theorem of this article is that for a field $F$ of characteristic $p > 0$ and $G$ a smooth finite algebraic group $\mathrm{ed}_F(G;P) = 1$ if $p$ divides $|G|$ and $0$ else. On the other hand it was conjectured by \textit{A. Ledet} [Dev. Math. 11, 159--172 (2004; Zbl 1062.12003)] that $\mathrm{ed}_F(\mathbb{Z}/p^r \mathbb{Z})= r$. \par The proof consists of a number of reductions. Let $G$ be a smooth finite algebraic group. It is known that if $G' \subset G$ is a subgroup of index prime to $p$, $\mathrm{ed}_F(G;p) = \mathrm{ed}_F(G',p)$. If $p$ does not divide $|G|$, then $G' = \{1\}$ yields $\mathrm{ed}_F(G;p) = 0$. It is also known that $\mathrm{ed}_F(G;p) \geq 1$ if $p$ divides $|G|$. The authors therefore have to show $\mathrm{ed}_F(G;p) \leq 1$. If $G$ is a smooth finite algebraic group, $G = {}^{\tau}\Gamma$ where $\Gamma$ is a constant algebraic group and $\tau$ a cocycle in $H^1(F,A)$ where $A$ is the automorphism group of $\Gamma$. Then $\mathrm{ed}_F(G;p) \leq \mathrm{ed}_F(\Gamma \ltimes A;p)$, and hence the main theorem is reduced to the case where $G$ is a constant finite group. \par The essential dimension $\mathrm{ed}_F(G;p)$ is bounded from above by the dimension $\dim(X)$ of a faithful geometrically irreducible $G$-variety $X$ with a smooth $G$-fixed $F$-point. The main theorem is then a consequence of Lemma 3 which asserts that for every constant $p$-group there exists a faithful $G$-curve defined over $\mathbb{F}_p$ with a smooth $G$-fixed $\mathbb{F}_p$-point. \par As an application the authors discuss the following. If $G$ is a connected reductive group over $F$, then there exists an $F$-subgroup $S \subset G$ such that $H^1(K,S) \to H^1(K,G)$ is surjective for every field $K$ containing $F$. It follows from the main theorem that $S$ cannot be smooth if $F$ is algebraically closed of characteristic $p > 0$ and $p$ is a torsion prime for $G$.

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