Symbol lengths in Milnor \(K\)-theory (Q1770288)

Let \(F\) be a field and \(p\) a prime number. The \(p\)-symbol length \(\lambda_p(F)\) of \(F\) is the least integer \(l\), such that every element of the quotient \(K_2(F)/p\) of the Milnor \(K\)-group \(K_2(F)\) can be written as a sum of at most \(l\) symbols. For global and local fields \(F\) the \(p\)-symbol length is known to be equal to 1 for all \(p\). The authors show that for an arbitrary field \(F\) and a prime \(p\), such that \(F^*/F^{*p}\) is finite of order \(p^m\), an upper bound for \(\lambda_p(F)\) is given by \[ \lambda_p(F) \leq \begin{cases} \,\,\,\left[\frac{m}{2}\right] \quad \text{\,\,\,if \(p\neq 2\) or if \(F\) is nonreal} \\ \left[\frac{m+1}{2}\right] \quad \text{if \(p=2\) and \(F\) is real.} \end{cases} \] Here \([\,\,]\) denotes the Gauss bracket. The authors also show that these bounds are sharp, attained by certain iterated power series fields.