On the cohomological dimension of non-standard number fields (Q1174276)

For a field \(K\), let \(H^ q(K)\) denote the \(q\)-dimensional cohomology group for the group of all \(K\)-automorphisms of the separable algebraic closure \(K_ s\) of \(K\), with coefficients in the multiplicative group of nonzero elements of \(K_ s\). The field \(K\) is said to have cohomological dimension \(\leq n\), if \(H^ q(K)\) is trivial for \(n<q\); and, in the language of model theory, the author asks whether the class of fields of cohomological dimension \(\leq 2\) is elementary. A proof of the apparently known fact that the class of fields of cohomological dimension \(\leq n\) is closed under elementary substructures is indicated. The main result of this paper is a proof that every field in the elementary class generated by totally imaginary global fields and their algebraic extensions has cohomological dimension \(\leq 2\). The author also investigates when the \(p\)-torsion subgroup of \(H^ n(k)\) is trivial for a prime number \(p\).