Bounding the symbol length in the Galois cohomology of function fields of \(p\)-adic curves (Q2269704)

The main object of the paper under review is \(H^2(K,\mu_l)\) where \(K\) is the function field of a curve defined over a \(p\)-adic field \(k\) (\(l\) is a prime not equal to \(p\)). Assuming that \(k\) contains a primitive \(l^{th}\) root of unity, the author proves that every element of \(H^2(K,\mu_l)\) is a sum of at most two symbols. This can be viewed as a refinement of a theorem of \textit{D.~J.~Saltman} [J. Ramanujan Math. Soc. 12, 25--47 (1997; Zbl 0902.16021); ibid. 13, 125--130 (1998; Zbl 0920.16008)]. The proof heavily relies on the methods of another paper by \textit{D.~J.~Saltman} [J. Algebra 314, 817--843 (2007; Zbl 1129.16014)], in particular, on a criterion for an element to be a symbol in terms of so-called ``hot points'' on a regular projective model of \(K\). Note that the assumption on primitive roots of unity has been removed in a paper by \textit{E. Brussel} and \textit{E.~Tengan} [Tame division algebras of prime period over function fields of \(p\)-adic curves, \url{arXiv:1003.1906}].