Applications of patching to quadratic forms and central simple algebras (Q1034697)

This paper gives applications of \textit{field patching}, introduced by the first two authors in [Isr.\ J.\ Math. 176, 61--107 (2010; Zbl 1213.14052)], to problems in quadratic form theory (computation of the \(u\)-invariant) and central simple algebras (the period-index problem). The technical setting of field patching is as follows: For a normal irreducible projective curve \(\hat{X}\) over a complete discrete valuation ring \(T\) with function field \(F\), one defines a set \(\mathcal{P}\) of special points, a set \(\mathcal{U}\) of subsets of \(\hat{X}\), and a set \(\mathcal{B}\) of branches at points in \(\mathcal{P}\), and for each \(\xi\in\mathcal{P}\cup\mathcal{U}\cup\mathcal{B}\) a certain field extension \(F_\xi\) of \(F\). Patching now allows to construct objects (like vector spaces) over \(F\), given such objects over the \(F_\xi\) in a compatible way. A key ingredient in the patching process is a factorization result for invertible matrices. Sections 2 and 3 of the paper generalize the matrix factorization results of [loc.\ cit.] from \(\text{GL}_n\) to connected linear algebraic groups \(G\) over \(F\) that are rational as \(F\)-varieties. From this the authors deduce the following local-global principle for homogeneous spaces: If such a group \(G\) acts on an \(F\)-variety \(H\) such that for every extension \(E\) of \(H\), \(G(E)\) acts transitively on \(H(E)\), then \(H(F)\neq\emptyset\) iff \(H(F_\xi)\neq\emptyset\) for every \(\xi\in\mathcal{P}\cup\mathcal{U}\). By applying this local-global principle to the rational linear algebraic group \(\text{SO}(q)\), for a quadratic form \(q\) over \(F\) with \(\text{dim}(q)\neq 2\), they deduce that \(q\) is isotropic over \(F\) iff it is isotropic over each \(F_\xi\), \(\xi\in\mathcal{P}\cup\mathcal{U}\). From this they conclude that if \(T\) is a complete (or more generally, excellent henselian) discrete valuation ring with quotient field \(K\) and residue field \(k\), \(\text{char}(k)\neq2\), then \(u_s(K)=2u_s(k)\), where \(u_s\) denotes the \textit{strong \(u\)-invariant}, defined by \(u_s(K)\leq n\) iff \(u(E)\leq 2^ln\) for every finitely generated extension \(E/k\) of transcendence degree \(l\leq1\), and \(u\) denotes the \textit{\(u\)-invariant} (in the sense of Kaplansky) defined as the maximal dimension of an anisotropic quadratic form. As a special case they obtain the result of \textit{R. Parimala} and \textit{V. Suresh} [Ann. Math. (2) 172, No. 2, 1391--1405 (2010; Zbl 1208.11053)] that the \(u\)-invariant of a function field of one variable over \(\mathbb{Q}_p\), \(p\neq2\), is \(8\). Further concrete results on the \(u\)-invariant are given for function fields over higher local fields, and quotient fields of power series rings like \(k[[x,t]]\), \(k[x][[t]]\), and \(\mathbb{Z}_p[[x]]\). The applications to central simple algebras concern the period-index problem. Recall that the \textit{period} \(\text{per}(A)\) of a central simple \(k\)-algebra \(A\) is the order of \(A\) in the Brauer group \(\text{Br}(k)\), and the \textit{index} \(\text{ind}(A)\) is the degree of the division algebra in the Brauer class of \(A\). The authors define the \textit{Brauer dimension} of \(k\) away from \(p\) to be at most \(d\) iff \(\text{ind}(A)|\text{per}(A)^{d+l-1}\) for every finitely generated extension \(E/k\) of transcendence degree \(l\leq 1\) and every central simple \(E\)-algebra \(A\) with \(p{\not|}\text{per}(A)\). The technical main result here is that, in the setting described above, for a central simple \(F\)-algebra \(A\), \(\text{ind}(A)=\text{lcm}_{\xi\in\mathcal{P}\cup\mathcal{U}}\text{ind}(A\otimes_F{F_\xi})\). From this the authors deduce that if \(T\) is a complete (or more generally, excellent henselian) discrete valuation ring with quotient field \(K\) and residue field \(k\), and \(k\) has Brauer dimension \(d\geq0\) away from \(\text{char}(k)\), then \(K\) has Brauer dimension at most \(d+1\) away from \(\text{char}(k)\). As a special case they obtain the result of \textit{D. J. Saltman} [J. Ramanujan Math. Soc. 12, No. 1, 25--47 (1997; Zbl 0902.16021)] that \(\text{ind}(A)|\text{per}(A)^2\) for any central simple algebra \(A\) over a function field of one variable over a finite extension of \(\mathbb{Q}_p\). Further results on the period-index problem are given for function fields of one variable over higher local fields, and for quotient fields of rings like \(k[[x,t]]\), \(k[x][[t]]\) and \(\mathbb{Z}_p^{\text{ur}}[[x]]\).