Invariants of wreath products and subgroups of \(S_6\) (Q2354133)

Let \(k\) be a field, \(G\) a finite group and \(V\) a faithful representation of \(G\) over \(k\). Then there is a natural action of \(G\) upon the field of rational functions \(k(V)\). \textit{The rationality problem} then asks whether the field of \(G\)-invariant functions \(k(V)^G\) is rational (i.e., purely transcendental) over \(k\). A question related to the above mentioned is whether \(k(V)^G\) is stably rational, that is, whether there exist independent variables \(x_1,\dots,x_r\) such that \(k(V)^G(x_1,\dots,x_r)\) becomes a purely transcendental extension of \(k\). For example, the symmetric group \(S_n\) acts on the function field \(k(x_1,\dots ,x_n)\), and the invariant functions are the symmetric functions. According to the Fundamental Theorem on Symmetric Polynomials: \(k(x_1,\dots, x_n)^{S_n}=k(\sigma_1,\dots,\sigma_n).\) The elementary symmetric polynomials are algebraically independent over \(k\), therefore \(k(\sigma_1,\dots,\sigma_n)\) is purely transcendental over \(k\), i.e., the rationality problem has an affirmative answer for \(S_n\) over any field \(k\). On the other hand, it is known that the answer is 'no' for some \(G\)'s, even for an algebraically closed \(k\). For most \(G\)'s, as for example the alternating groups \(A_n\) with \(n > 5\), the problem remains open for every \(k\). The present article studies the rationality problem for the subgroups of the symmetric group \(S_6\). In the main result Theorem 1.2 the authors prove that \(k(x_1,\dots, x_6)^G\) is rational over \(k\) if \(G\) is any subgroup of \(S_6\), except possibly when \(G\) is isomorphic to PSL\(_2(\mathbb F_5)\), PGL\(_2(\mathbb F_5)\), or \(A_6\). When \(G\) is isomorphic to PSL\(_2(\mathbb F_5)\) or PGL\(_2(\mathbb F_5)\), then \(\mathbb C(x_1,\dots, x_6)^G\) is rational over \(\mathbb C\) and \(k(x_1,\dots, x_6)^G\) is stably rational over \(k\). In theorem 3.5 is proven also that the rationality problem related to a wreath product of two subgroups of symmetric groups can be reduced to the rationality problems related to each of the two groups.