Embedding problems for finite dimensional division algebras (Q1333210)

Let \(D\) be a central division algebra over a field \(K\) (always finite- dimensional). If \(K/F\) is a finite separable field extension, there may not exist a central division algebra over \(F\) with \(D\) as subalgebra, but as the authors show (Th. 3.1), there exists a regular extension \(F'\) of \(F\) and a central division algebra \(D'\) over \(F'\) such that \(D\) is embedded in \(D'\). Moreover, if \(D\) has index \(n\), then \(D'\) has index \(n^ 2[K:F]\). If further, \(KF' \subseteq D'\) and the centralizer of \(KF'\) in \(D'\) is \(D \otimes_ K KF'\), then \(D\) is said to be maximally embedded in \(D'\). In the above situation, if \(K/F\) is Galois and the Brauer class of \(D\) is in the image of the restriction map from the Brauer group of \(F\), then \(F'\) may be taken rational over \(F\). From these results it follows easily that if a non-cyclic group \(G\) of odd order occurs as subgroup of the multiplicative group of some division algebra, then there is a regular extension \(F\) of the rational field \(Q\) and a central division algebra \(D/F\) such that \(G \subseteq D^ \times\). This leads to a counter-example to a conjecture of two of the authors [\textit{B. Fein} and \textit{M. Schacher}, J. Algebra 32, 332-338 (1974; Zbl 0292.16014)], to the effect that if \(L\) is a field of characteristic zero, then \(L\) contains a root of 1 of order greater than 1, provided that there exists a central division algebra over \(L\) whose multiplicative group contains a non-cyclic group of odd order. Thus the proof of this result offered by \textit{R. Mollin} [Commun. Algebra 6, 237-248 (1978; Zbl 0393.16015)] is in error. But the following question remains open: Let \(D\) be a central division algebra over a field \(F \supseteq Q\) such that \(D^ \times\) contains a non-cyclic group \(G\) of odd order as subgroup, and denote by \(m\) the index of the \(Q\)-algebra generated by \(G\) in \(D\). Does \(F\) necessarily contain a primitive \(m\)th root of 1? The two authors in loc. cit. showed that the answer is affirmative when \(F\) is a local or global field. Here the authors prove that the result also holds for a Henselian field whose residue class field is local or global; in particular this answers the question for fields of iterated Laurent series over local or global fields, but it remains open for rational function fields over local or global fields. Turning to maximal embeddings, the authors prove that for a finite separable field extension \(K/F\) and a central division algebra \(D/K\) whose Brauer class \([D]\) lies in \(\text{res}^ K_ F(\text{Br}(F))\), (i) there exists a unirational extension \(F'\) of \(F\) and a central division algebra \(D'/F'\) such that \(D\otimes_ K KF'\) is maximally embedded in \(D'\) and (ii) if there is a finite Galois extension \(E\) of \(F\), \(E \supseteq K\), such that \((\text{Gal} (E/F), \text{Gal} (E/K))\) has a certain strong splitting property (too complicated to describe here) then the field \(F'\) in (i) can be chosen to be rational over \(F\). As an application they prove that for two Galois extensions \(K_ 1\), \(K_ 2\) of the same degree over \(F\) there is a rational function field \(F'\) over \(F\) and a central division algebra over \(F'\) having each \(K_ i F'\) as a maximal subfield. Examples show that this can fail for three or more extensions.