Cohomology of groups and twisted multiplicative fields of invariants (Q1359431)

Let \(G\) be a finite group, \(M\) a \(G\)-lattice and \(f :G\to \widehat M\) a crossed homomorphism. The group \(G\) acts on the group ring \({\mathbb C}[M]\) by twisted multiplication: \(g\circ X^m = f(g)(g\cdot m)X^{g\cdot m}\). Let \({\mathbb C}[M]_f\) be the ring \({\mathbb C}[M]\) with this action and let \({\mathbb C}(M)_f\) be its quotient field. The author is interested in the unramified Brauer group \(Br^{nr}({\mathbb C}(M)_f^G)\) of the field of invariants \({\mathbb C}(M)_f^G\). When it is different from zero, it is the first obstruction to stable rationality. \textit{D. J. Saltman} [J. Algebra 133, No. 2, 533-544 (1990; Zbl 0729.13006)] obtained that the unramified Brauer group \(\text{Br}^{nr}({\mathbb C}(M)_f^G)\) is isomorphic to the subgroup of \(H^2 (G, {\mathbb C}[M]^{\ast}_f)\) consisting of the elements whose restriction to certain bicyclic abelian subgroups of \(G\) vanish. In this paper a new proof of Saltman's result is given in the particular case when \(M\) is of finite index in a permutation \(G\)-lattice. Finally it is proved that, given a finite group \(G\) then, for every \(G\)-lattice \(M\) and every twisted multiplicative action \(f\), \(Br^{nr}({\mathbb C}(M)_f^G)= 0\iff\)every Sylow subgroup of \(G\) is cyclic.