Koszul algebras and quadratic duals in Galois cohomology (Q2227271)

Given a field \(F\) and a prime number \(p\), the paper under review investigates the Galois cohomology of the Galois group \(\mathcal{G}(F(p)/F)\) of the maximal \(p\)-extension \(F(p)/F)\), under the condition that \(\mathcal{G}(F(p)/F)\) is finitely-generated as a pro-\(p\)-group; by Galois theory, \(\mathcal{G}(F(p)/F)\) is isomorphic as a profinite group to the maximal pro-\(p\) quotient of the absolute Galois group \(\mathcal{G}_F := \mathcal{G}(F_{\text{sep}}/F)\), where \(F_{\text{sep}}\) is a separable closure of \(F\). It presents a research motivated by the open problem of finding which profinite groups are realizable as absolute Galois groups. The Galois cohomology of \(F\) with coefficients in the prime field \(\mathbb{F}_F := \mathbb{Z}/p\mathbb{Z}\) is a graded algebra \(H^*(\mathcal{G}_F, \mathbb{F}_p) = \oplus_{n \ge 0} H^n(\mathcal{G}_F, \mathbb{F}_p)\) with respect to the homological degree and the graded-commutative cup product \(\cup: H^r(\mathcal{G}_F, \mathbb{F}_p) \times H^s(\mathcal{G}_F, \mathbb{F}_p) \to H^{r+s}(\mathcal{G}_F, \mathbb{F}_p)\), \(r, s \ge 0\) (see Ch. 1, Sect. 4 of the book [\textit{J. Neukirch} et al., Cohomology of number fields. Berlin: Springer (2008; Zbl 1136.11001)]). Throughout the reviewed paper, the authors assume that \(F\) contains a primitive \(p\)-th root of unity \(\xi_p\), and in case \(p = 2\), \(\sqrt{-1} \in F\). Their research has been inspired by the proof of the Bloch-Kato conjecture (completed by Voevodsky and Rost, see [\textit{A. Suslin} and \textit{S. Joukhovitski}, J. Pure Appl. Algebra 206, No. 1--2, 245--276 (2006; Zbl 1091.19002); \textit{C. Haesemeyer} and \textit{C. Weibel}, Abel Symp. 4, 95--130 (2009; Zbl 1244.19003); \textit{V. Voevodsky}, Publ. Math., Inst. Hautes Étud. Sci. 112, 1--99 (2010; Zbl 1227.14025); \textit{V. Voevodsky}, Ann. Math. (2) 174, No. 1, 401--438 (2011; Zbl 1236.14026)]), which implies that \(H^*(\mathcal{G}_F, \mathbb{F}_p)\), i.e., it is generated by elements of degree \(1\) and its relations are generated by homogeneous relations of degree \(2\). It is known that locally finite-dimensional quadratic algebras come equipped with a duality (see Page 1 of the lectures [\textit{A. Polishchuk} and \textit{L. Positselski}, Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 364, No. 10, 5311--5368 (2012; Zbl 1285.16005)]. The quadratic dual of such an algebra A\(\bullet\) is a quadratic algebra generated over the same field by the dual space of the space of generators of A\(\bullet\). Its relators form the orthogonal complement of the space of the relators of A\(\bullet\) (see Definition 2.3). The double quadratic dual (A!\(\bullet\))! is isomorphic to A\(\bullet\) as a graded algebra. Among quadratic algebras, the significant class of Koszul algebras has been introduced in [\textit{S. B. Priddy}, Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 152, 39--60 (1970; Zbl 0261.18016)] as well as characterized by their uncommonly nice cohomological properties. In this respect, the Bloch-Kato conjecture is strengthened by Positselski as follows: Conjecture. If \(F\) is a field containing a primitive \(p\)-th root of unity, then \(H ^*(\mathcal{G}_F, \mathbb{F}_p)\) is a Koszul algebra. In order that A\(\bullet\) be a Koszul algebra, it is sufficient (but not necessary) that A\(\bullet\) possesses the PBW (Poincaré-Birkhof-Witt) property. Therefore, it should be noted that, generally, it is easier to check the PBW property than to verify the Koszul property. In addition, the paper under review proves Positselski's conjecture in a number of special cases, by showing that: in each considered case, \(H ^*(\mathcal{G}_F, \mathbb{F}_p)\) has the PBW property; under the above-noted restrictions on the roots of unity in \(F\), \(H^*(\mathcal{G}_F, \mathbb{F}_p)\) has the PBW property, provided that \(\mathcal{G}(F(p)/F)\) is an elementary type pro-\(p\)-group (in view of the Elementary Type Conjecture, this occurs in all presently known situations); an analogous unconditional result about Pythagorean fields is obtained as well. In particular, the availability of the PBW property is proved in the following cases: (a) \(F\) is finite; (b) \(\mathcal{G}(F(p)/F)\) is a Demushkin pro-\(p\)-group; (c) \(F\) is a pseudo algebraically closed (PAC) field, or an extension of transcendence degree 1 of a PAC field; (c) \(F\) is an algebraic extension of \(\mathbb{Q}\); (d) \(F\) is a local field or an extension of transcendence degree \(1\) of a local field; (e) \(F\) is \(p\)-rigid. The paper also contains a survey of the Koszul property in Galois cohomology and its relation with absolute Galois groups.