Graded-division algebras and Galois extensions (Q2040524)

Division algebras and the Brauer group play a key role in the theory of finite-dimensional associative algebras. By Wedderburn's structure theorem, any finite-dimensional central simple associative algebra over a field \(F\) is isomorphic to a matrix algebra Mat\(_n(D)\) over a central division algebra \(D\) or, equivalently, the algebra End\(_D(V)\) of endomorphisms of a finite rank right \(D\)-module \(V\). The Brauer group Br\((F)\) is the group of equivalence classes of finite-dimensional central simple algebras, with two such algebras being equivalent if they are isomorphic to matrix algebras over the same division algebra. The paper under review presents the graded version of this theory. Given a group \(G\), a \(G\)-graded algebra over the field \(F\) is an \(F\)-algebra \(\mathcal{A}\) endowed with a \(G\)-grading \(\Gamma \), i.e., a vector space decomposition \(\Gamma := \mathcal{A} = \bigotimes_{g \in G} \mathcal{A}_g\), such that \(\mathcal{A}_g\mathcal{A}_h \subseteq \mathcal{A}_{gh}\), for every pair \(g, h \in G\). The subspaces \(\mathcal{A}_g\), \(g \in G\), are called homogeneous components of \(\mathcal{A}\), and elements of the union \(\bigcup \mathcal{A}_g\), \(g \in G\), are called homogeneous. A homomorphism of \(G\)-graded algebras \(\mathcal{A} \to \mathcal{B}\) is an algebra homomorphism \(\psi : \mathcal{A} \to \mathcal{B}\) such that \(\psi (\mathcal{A}_g) \subseteq \mathcal{B}_g\), for all \(g \in G\). The main results of this paper are obtained under the hypothesis that \(G\) is an abelian group. As it turns out (see [the first author, Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 147, No. 7, 2821--2833 (2019; Zbl 1458.16049)], then any \(G\)-graded-central-simple algebra (not necessarily associative or finite-dimensional) is graded-isomorphic to a cocycle-twisted loop algebra of a central simple \(\overline G\)-graded algebra, for a suitable quotient \(\overline G\) of \(G\); hence, graded-central-simple algebras can be obtained, in principle, from gradings on central simple algebras. The paper under review gives a classification of finite-dimensional central \(G\)-graded-division \(F\)-algebras (up-to a \(G\)-graded isomorphism), and as an application, of finite \(G\)-graded division rings. Also, it classifies simple \(G\)-Galois extensions of \(F\) in terms of a Galois field extension \(L/F\) with Galois group isomorphic to a quotient \(G/K\) and an element in the quotient \(Z^2(K, L^{\ast })/B^2(K, F^{\ast })\) subject to certain conditions. Non-simple \(G\)-Galois extensions are induced from simple \(T\)-Galois extensions for a subgroup \(T\) of \(G\). In order to classify simple \(G\)-Galois extensions, the authors use the fact that each central simple \(G\)-graded-division \(F\)-algebra is determined by its equivalence class in Br\((F)\) and the isomorphism class of a \(G\)-Galois extension of \(F\). Specifically, they take into account the existence of a Picco-Platzeck split short exact sequence of abelian groups \[ 1 \to \mathrm{Br}(F) \to \mathrm{Br}(F)_G \to E_G(F) \to 1, \] where Br\((F)_G\) is the graded Brauer group of \(F\) (which consists of the equivalence classes of finite-dimensional associative \(F\)-algebras that are central simple and \(G\)-graded) and \(E_G(F)\) is the group of isomorphism classes of \(G\)-Galois extensions of \(F\) (see [\textit{D. J. Picco} and \textit{M. I. Platzeck}, Rev. Unión Mat. Argent. 25, 401--415 (1971; Zbl 0293.13001)]).