Cyclic and elementary abelian subfields of Malcev-Neumann division algebras (Q1081673)

Let \(K/F\) be a Galois extension of fields, with finite abelian Galois group \(G\) generated by \(n\) elements. We can regard \(K\) as \(Z^n\)-module, by mapping \(Z^n\) to \(G\), and for a given cocycle \(f\in Z^2(G,K^\times)\) form the twisted power series ring of \(Z^n\) over \(K\), consisting of all series with well-ordered support. The resulting ring \(D_f\) is a skew field (the Malcev-Neumann construction) which may be regarded as ring of iterated Laurent series in \(n\) indeterminates [cf. the author and \textit{S. A. Amitsur}, Isr. J. Math. 50, 114--144 (1985; Zbl 0564.16015)]. This skew field \(D_f\) has a natural valuation with value group \(Z^n\) and residue field \(K\). The author determines the exponent of \(D_f\), finds its Kummer subfields and gives conditions for \(D_f\) to be cyclic. Assuming \([K:F]\) to be a prime power, he finds conditions for \(D_f\) to be an elementary abelian crossed product and uses this result to prove the following theorem: Let \(m\) and \(n\) be integers such that \(m\mid n\mid m^t\) for some \(t\ge 1\). Given an infinite field \(K\), if there is a prime \(p\ne \operatorname{char} K\) such that \(p^2\mid m\), \(p^3\mid n\), then Saltman's generic division algebra \(UD(K;m,n)\) of exponent \(m\) and degree \(n\) over \(K\) is not a crossed product [cf. \textit{D. J. Saltman}, Commun. Algebra 7, 791--817 (1979; Zbl 0403.16018)]. He also proves a reduction lemma which shows that \(UD(K;m,n)\) is a crossed product if and only if the \(p\)-primary component is one, for each prime \(p\).