Invertible unital bimodules over rings with local units, and related exact sequences of groups. II. (Q1950634)

Let \(R\) be a commutative ring, and \(S\) a Galois extension of \(R\) with group \(G\). We have a seven term long exact sequence \[ \begin{multlined} 1\to H^1(G,U(R))\to\text{Pic}(R)\to\text{Pic}(S)^G\to H^2(G,U(R))\to\\ \to\text{Br}(S/R)\to H^1(G,\text{Pic}(R))\to H^3(G,U(R)).\end{multlined} \] This sequence is known as the Chase-Harrisson-Rosenberg exact sequence, [see \textit{S. U. Chase, D. K. Harrison} and \textit{A. Rosenberg}, Mem. Am. Math. Soc. 52, 15-33 (1965; Zbl 0143.05902)]. \(\text{Pic}(R)\) is the Picard group of \(R\), and \(\text{Br}(S/R)\) is the part of the Brauer group of \(R\) split by \(S\). The cohomology is group cohomology. Several generalizations of this exact sequence have been presented in the literature. A generalization that is perhaps forgotten nowadays is due to \textit{Y. Miyashita}, [see Nagoya Math. J. 49, 21-51 (1973; Zbl 0239.16001)]. Here the basic idea is that the \(G\)-Galois extension \(R\to S\) is replaced by a possibly noncommutative ring extension \(R\subset S\) together with a fixed generalized crossed product. The authors generalize the Miyashita construction to the situation where \(R\) and \(S\) are rings with local units, under the assumptions that they have the same set of local units. We give a brief description of some of the terms in the new sequence. A generalized crossed product can be constructed from the following data. \(G\) is a group, and for every \(x\in G\), we have an invertible \(R\)-bimodule \(\Theta_x\), together with \(R\)-bimodule isomorphisms \(\mathcal F_{x,y}\colon\Theta_x\otimes_R\Theta_y\to\Theta_{xy}\) and \(\iota\colon R\to\Theta_1\), satisfying certain properties. The generalized crossed product is then given by the direct sum \(\Delta(\Theta)=\bigoplus_{x\in G}\Theta_x\). An additional condition is needed: \(\Theta_x\) has to be isomorphic to an \(R\)-subbimodule of \(S\). We fix such a generalized crossed product. We have a group homomorphism \(\alpha\colon\text{Pic}(R)\to\Aut(U(Z))\), where \(U(Z)\) is the group of \(R\)-bimodule automorphisms of \(R\). This defines an action of \(G\) on \(U(Z)\), using the formula \(x\cdot f=\alpha([\Theta_x])(f)\). Hence we can consider the cohomology groups \(H^n_\Theta(G,U(Z))\), and these take the place of \(H^n(G,U(R))\) in the Chase-Harrison-Rosenberg sequence. The index \(\Theta\) refers to the fact that the \(G\)-action depends on the choice of \(\Theta\). Two \(R\)-bimodules are called similar if each of them is a direct summand of the direct sum of finitely many copies of the other one. Consider generalized crossed products of the form \(\Delta(\Psi)\), where \(\Psi_x\) is similar to \(\Theta_x\) for every \(x\in G\). Isomorphism classes of such generalized crossed products form an Abelian group \(\mathcal C(\Theta/R)\). In the new sequence, the split part of the Brauer group is replaced by a certain quotient of \(\mathcal C(\Theta/R)\). Consider the subgroup \(\text{Pic}_Z(R)\) consisting of \(Z\)-invariant bimodules. Also remark that \(G\) acts on \(\text{Pic}(R)\): \(^x[P]=[\Theta_x\otimes_RP\otimes_R\Theta_{x^{-1}}]\). In the new sequence, \(\text{Pic}(S)^G\) is replaced by \(\text{Pic}_Z(R)^G=\text{Pic}_Z(R)\cap\text{Pic}(R)^G\). For part I see the authors [J. Algebra 323, No. 1, 224-240 (2010; Zbl 1198.16008)].