The structure of orthogonal groups over arbitrary commutative rings (Q1824697)

By the orthogonal group \(O_{2n}\) the author means the automorphism group of the symmetric bilinear form in 2n variables of Witt index n. It is assumed that \(n\geq 3\). Let R be a commutative ring with 1, and \(EO_{2n}(R)\) the subgroup of \(O_{2n}(R)\) generated by elementary orthogonal matrices. For any ideal J of A, one defines a congruence subgroup \(O_{2n}(R,J)\) of \(O_{2n}(R)\) and its subgroup \(EO_{2n}(R,J)\). One says that the problem of normal subgroups has an affirmative solution provided that, a subgroup H of \(O_{2n}(R)\) is normalized by \(EO_{2n}(R)\) if and only if \(EO_{2n}(R,J)\subset H\subset O_{2n}(R,J)\) for an ideal J of R. The main result, Theorem 4 asserts that the problem of normal subgroups has an affirmative solution if and only if \(aR\cap L=a^ 2L\) for each \(a\in R\), where L is the annihilator of 2 in R. The method of proof, due to L. Vaserstein, is localization and patching. The result of the paper has a substantial intersection with those of: \textit{V. I. Kopejko} and \textit{A. A. Suslin} [Zap. Nauchn. Semin. Leningr. Otd. Mat. Inst. Steklova 86, 114-124 (1979; Zbl 0448.13006) \(=\) J. Sov. Math. 17, 2024-2031 (1981)]; \textit{G. Taddei} [Contemp. Math. 55, 693-710 (1986; Zbl 0602.20040)]; \textit{E. Abe} [ibid. 83, 1-17 (1989; Zbl 0677.20029)]; \textit{L. Vaserstein} [Tôhoku Math. J., II. Ser. 38, 219-230 (1986; Zbl 0578.20036), Am. J. Math. 110, 955-973 (1988; Zbl 0654.20052)].