A characterization of the norm of an Azumaya algebra of constant rank through the divided powers algebra of an algebra (Q1086658)

Let R be a commutative ring with unity, and let \(\Gamma_ i(M)\) denote the module of symmetric contravariant tensors of rank i for any R-module M. If M and N are R-modules, there is a canonical homomorphism: \(\Gamma_ i(M)\otimes \Gamma_ i(N)\to \Gamma_ i(M\otimes N)\). Therefore the multiplication of an R-algebra A gives rise to a multiplication: \(\Gamma_ i(A)\otimes \Gamma_ i(A)\to \Gamma_ i(A\otimes A)\to \Gamma_ i(A)\) by which \(\Gamma_ i(A)\) becomes an R- algebra. To an element a of A is associated a sequence \(a^{<j>}\), \(1\leq j\leq i\), of \(\Gamma_ i(A)\). If A is the ring of \(n\times n\) matrices over R, there is no R-algebra homomorphism: \(\Gamma_ i(A)\to R\) for \(i>1\), unless i is a multiple of n. There is a unique R-algebra homomorphism \(\Psi_ k: \Gamma_{kn}(A)\to R\) and \(\Psi_ k(a^{<kn>})=(\det er\min ant\) of \(a)^ k\). Moreover, \(\Psi_ 1(a^{<j>})\) is (up to sign) the coefficient of \(X^{n-j}\) in the characteristic polynomial of a. If \(C_ R(\Gamma_ i(A))\) denotes the residue class algebra of \(\Gamma_ i(A)\) modulo the commutator ideal, the author proves that \(C_ R(\Gamma_{kn}(A))=R\) and \(C_ R(\Gamma_ i(A))=0\) if i is not a multiple of n, \(i>0\). By the technique of faithfully flat descent, it is shown that these results remain valid for an Azumaya algebra of constant rank \(n^ 2\) (with reduced norm in place of determinant).