Finite group actions on rational function fields (Q1188275)

Let \(K\) be any field and let \(K(x_ 1,x_ 2,\dots,x_ n)\) be the rational function field of \(n\) variables over \(K\). A \(K\)-automorphism \(\sigma\) of \(K(x_ 1,x_ 2,\dots,x_ n)\) is said to be monomial iff for \(1\leq i\leq n\), \(\sigma(x_ i)=a_ i(\sigma)\prod^ n_{j=1}x_ j^{m_{ij}}\), where \((m_{ij})_{1\leq i,j\leq n}\) is an invertible \(n\times n\) matrix with integer entries and where \(a_ i(\sigma)\in K\backslash\{0\}\). If \(a_ i(\sigma)=1\;\forall i\), then \(\sigma\) is called purely monomial. It is known that if \(G\) is any finite group of monomial \(K\)-automorphisms of \(K(x_ 1,x_ 2)\) then its fixed field \(K(x_ 1,x_ 2)^ G\) is rational over \(K\). The authors prove the following results. 1. Let \(K\) be any field, let \(K(x_ 1,x_ 2,\dots,x_ n)\) be the rational function field on \(n\) variables over \(K\), and let \(G\) be a finite group of \(K\)-automorphisms of \(K(x_ 1,x_ 2,\dots,x_ n)\). Suppose that for each \(\sigma\in G\), \(\sigma(x_ 1)\in K(x_ 1)\), \(\sigma(x_ i)=a_ i(\sigma)x_ i+b_ i(\sigma)\) for \(2\leq i\leq n\), where \(a_ i(\sigma)\in K(x_ 1,x_ 2,\dots,x_ n)\backslash\{0\}\) and \(b_ i(\sigma)\in K(x_ 1,x_ 2,\dots,x_{i-1})\). Then the fixed field \(K(x_ 1,x_ 2,\dots,x_ n)^ G\) is purely transcendental over \(K\). 2. Let \(K\) be any field, let \(K(x_ 1,x_ 2,\dots,x_ n)\) be the rational function field of \(n\) variables over \(K\), and let \(G\) be a finite group of triangular affine \(K\)-automorphisms of \(K(x_ 1,x_ 2,\dots,x_ n)\). Then the fixed field \(K(x_ 1,x_ 2,\dots,x_ n)^ G\) is purely transcendental over \(K\). 3. Let \(K\) be any field, let \(K(x_ 1,x_ 2,\dots,x_ n)\) be the rational function field of \(n\) variables over \(K\), and let \(G\) be a finite group of affine \(K\)-automorphisms of \(K(x_ 1,x_ 2,\dots,x_ n)\). For \(\sigma\in G\), let \(A(\sigma)\) be an \(n\times n\) invertible matrix over \(K\). Suppose that: (1) \(A(\sigma)A(\tau)=A(\tau)A(\sigma)\;\forall\sigma\), \(\tau\in G\), (2) \(\forall\sigma\in G\), all the eigenvalues of \(A(\sigma)\) lie in \(K\). Then the fixed field \(K(x_ 1,x_ 2,\dots,x_ n)^ G\) is purely transcendental over \(K\). In particular, a group of affine automorphisms which is isomorphic to the Klein 4-group has a purely transcendental fixed field. 4. Let \(K\) be any field, let \(K(x,y,z)\) be the rational function field of three variables over \(K\), and let \(G\) be a finite abelian group of purely monomial \(K\)-automorphisms of \(K(x,y,z)\). Then the fixed field \(K(x,y,z)^ G\) is purely transcendental over \(K\). Assuming \(K\) is algebraically closed, the authors give a stronger version of the first result.