Monomial actions of the symmetric group. (Q1400172)

\(\mathbb{Z} G\)-lattices \(M\), \(M'\) (with \(G\) a finite group) are said to belong to the same flasque if \(M\oplus P\simeq M'\oplus P'\) with permutation modules \(P\), \(P'\). Exploiting work of \textit{S. Endo} and \textit{T. Miyata} [Nagoya Math. J. 56, 85-104 (1975; Zbl 0301.14008)], \textit{H. W. Lenstra} jun. [Invent. Math. 25, 299-325 (1974; Zbl 0292.20010)] and \textit{R. G. Swan} [Invent. Math. 7, 148-158 (1969; Zbl 0186.07601)] it is first shown that, for any field \(F\) and \(G\)-faithful \(\mathbb{Z} G\)-lattices \(M\), \(M'\), \(F(M)\) and \(F(M')\) are stably isomorphic as \(G\)-fields iff \(M\) and \(M'\) belong to the same flasque class. Here, \(F(M)=\text{Quot}(F[m_1,\dots,m_n])\) with \(M=\mathbb{Z} m_1\oplus\cdots\oplus\mathbb{Z} m_n\) and \(G\) acts via its action on \(M\). It is the stable rationality of \(F(M)^G\) over \(F\) with which the paper is then concerned when \(G=S_p\) is the symmetric group on \(p\) elements (\(p\) a prime number). Let \(H\leq S_p\) have order \(p\) and set \(N=N_G(H)\). In this case, a class of \(\mathbb{Z} G\)-lattices is described for which induction-restriction from \(N\) to \(G\) preserves the flasque class. Then a specific lattice \(G_p\) is defined and it is shown that any \(\mathbb{Z} G\)-lattice \(M\) with localization \(M_q\simeq(G_p)_q\) for all primes \(q\neq p\) and completion \(\widehat M\simeq\widehat G_p\) (as \(\widehat\mathbb{Z}_pN\)-lattices) is in the flasque class of \(G_p\). In particular, \(F(M)^G\) is stably isomorphic to the centre of the division ring of \(p\times p\) generic matrices (compare \textit{E. Formanek} [Linear Multilinear Algebra 7, 203-212 (1979; Zbl 0419.16010)] and \textit{E. Beneish} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 350, No. 9, 3571-3585 (1998; Zbl 0915.16020)]). Finally, sufficient conditions for flasque classes to be \(0\) are given (so the corresponding fixed fields are stably rational over \(F\)).