Algebraic construction of the tame symbol and the Parshin symbol on a surface. (Q1429910)

Let \(A\) be a principal ideal domain and \(\alpha=(\alpha)\) an ideal of \(A\). The author of the paper under review constructs a central extension of groups whose commutator \(\{\;\}^A_\alpha\) is a 2-cocycle of the (second) cohomology group and proves that there is a unique element \((\,,\,)_\alpha\) in the corresponding cohomology class \([\{\;\}^A_\alpha]\) with desired properties to be defined to be the tame symbol associated with the ideal \(\alpha\) of \(A\). In the special case of \(A=O_v\), a discrete valuation domain, one sees easily that this tame symbol is the same of that defined by \textit{J. Milnor} [``Introduction to algebraic \(K\)-theory'', Ann. Math. Stud. 72 (1971; Zbl 0237.18005)]. This tame symbol is also an (arithmetical) generalization of the tame symbol of a curve \(C\), associated with a sequence of closed points \(p\in C\subset S\), where \(C\) is an algebraic curve on an algebraic surface \(S\), given previously by \textit{A.N. Parshin} [Proc. Steklov Inst. Math. 165, 157--185 (1985; Zbl 0579.12012)]. This remark allows him to give an arithmetical proof of Parshin's reciprocity law.