The structure of simple rings generated by finite metabelian groups (Q1340244)

In this fine paper the author describes for a field \(k\) of characteristic zero the simple \(k\)-algebras that can be generated, as \(k\)-algebra, by a finite metabelian subgroup \(G\) of their groups of units. In particular he describes the groups \(G\). The flavour of the paper has much in common with the author's version of the classification of the finite metabelian subgroups of division rings of characteristic zero, see 2.1.5 of Skew Linear Groups [the author and the reviewer, Camb. Univ. Press (1986; Zbl 0602.20046)], a classification being first achieved by S. A. Amitsur. The author's first step in the paper under review is to prove that the simple \(k\)-algebra \(k[G]\), for \(G\) finite and metabelian, is a crossed product over the centre \(W(G)\) of the centralizer in \(G\) of the derived subgroup \(G'\) of \(G\). The next step is a reduction to the case where the, necessarily commutative, subalgebra \(k[W(G)]\) is a field. The groups \(G\) can then be described; the types are too many to list here, but see Theorem C of the paper. The author then illustrates his techniques by classifying the absolutely irreducible finite metabelian subgroups of \(\text{GL}(p,D)\), for \(p\) any prime and \(D\) any division algebra over the field \(k = \mathbb{Q}_ l\) of \(l\)-adic numbers. Again there are a large number of types to consider. In turn this leads to a counter example of the strict generalization of Jordan's theorem on finite linear groups of characteristic zero to skew linear groups, thus settling a question raised by Brian Hartley.