The projective Schur subgroup of the Brauer group and root groups of finite groups (Q1173732)

The Schur subgroup of the Brauer group of a field \(k\) is the set of classes of \(k\)-central simple algebras that arise as simple components of group rings over \(k\) of finite groups. If one also allows twisted group rings, then one obtains the projective Schur group. The authors present in this paper a general overview of results on the projective Schur group. Amongst others, they come back to the question whether an Azumaya algebra which is a quotient of a twisted group of a finite group may also be realised as a quotient, where the twisted group ring itself is an Azumaya algebra. The question is answered affirmatively for certain subgroups of the projective Schur group (obtained by restricting to abelian groups, \(p\)-groups or nilpotent groups). After studying the relation between generalized Clifford algebras and so- called Clifford representations (and thus showing that the abelian projective Schur group of \(Br(R)\) is just the \(m\)-torsion part of the roots of unity contained in \(k\), if the Merkurev-Suslin theorem holds for \(R\)), the authors consider the problem whether the Brauer group and the projective Schur coincide (there are no known counterexamples). Equality was proven for number fields respectively for fields containing enough roots of unity (by Lorenz and Opolko respectively by using the Merkurev- Suslin theorem). The authors show that for a field \(k\) the projective Schur group contains the rational Brauer group under mild conditions on \(k\) and for a connected ring \(R\) that other subgroups of \(Br(R)\), given in terms of Kummer type extensions of \(R\) may also be embedded in the projective Schur group. This allows to give an alternative proof for the results of Lorenz and Opolka mentioned above.