Central simple algebras with involution: a geometric approach. (Q1014802)

Let \(K\) be an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero, \(\text{Bir}_n\) the category of irreducible generically free \(\text{PGL}_n\)-varieties whose morphisms are the dominant \(\text{PGL}_n\) equivariant maps of \(n\)-varieties, and \(\text{PI}_n\) the category of simple algebras of PI-degree \(n\), whose centres are finitely-generated extensions of \(K\) (with algebra homomorphisms as morphisms). It is known (due to \textit{Z. Reichstein} and the author, [see J. Algebra 310, No. 2, 624-647 (2007; Zbl 1117.16013)]) that there is a contravariant equivalence between \(\text{Bir}_n\) and \(\text{CS}_n\). Denote by \(P_{n,\tau}\) the semidirect group product \(\text{PGL}_n\times\langle\tau\rangle\), where \(\tau^2=1\) and conjugation by \(\tau\) acts on \(\text{PGL}_n\) as the composition of transposition and inversion. The paper under review shows that there is a contravariant equivalence between the category of irreducible \(P_{n,\tau}\)-varieties which are generically free as \(\text{PGL}_n\)-varieties and the category of central simple algebras with involutions over finitely generated extensions of \(k\). Here the morphisms are the dominant rational \(P_{n,\tau}\)-equivariant maps, and the \(k\)-algebra homomorphisms preserving involutions. In addition, the author proves, for an algebra \(A\in\text{CS}_n\) with involution \(\sigma\) and associated \(P_{n,\tau}\)-variety \(X\), that the \(P_{n,\tau}\)-action on \(X\) has a stabilizer \(S\) in general position. He also shows explicitly how \(S\) depends on the type of \(\sigma\).