The order of higher Brauer groups (Q2354319)

Let \(X/\mathbb{F}_q\) be a smooth projective variety of even dimension \(2r\). The author proves that the order of the non-divisible part of the higher Brauer groups \(\mathrm{Br}^r(X)(\ell)_{\mathrm{nd}}\) is a square number for every \(\ell \neq \mathrm{char}(\mathbb{F}_q)\). Here, \(A(\ell) := \bigcup_nA_{\ell^n}\) denotes the \(\ell\)-primary torsion subgroup of an Abelian group \(A\). The higher Brauer groups are defined as \(\mathrm{Br}^r(X) = \mathrm{H}_{\mathrm{L}}^{2r+1}(X,\mathbb{Z}(r))\) with \(\mathbb{Z}(r)\) Bloch's cycle complex on the small étale site of \(X\). Note that because of \(\mathbb{Z}(1) = \mathbb{G}_m[-1]\), one has \(\mathrm{Br}^1(X) = \mathrm{H}^2(X,\mathbb{G}_m) =\mathrm{Br}(X)\), the cohomological Brauer group. Sketch of the proof. First, identify \[ \mathrm{Br}^r(X)(\ell)_{\mathrm{nd}} = \mathrm{H}_{\mathrm{et}}^{2r+1}(X,\mathbb{Z}_\ell(r))_{\mathrm{tor}}, \] \(A_{\mathrm{tor}}\) the torsion subgroup of an Abelian group \(A\). Then, for \(\ell \neq 2\), construct a non-degenerate skew-symmetric bilinear form \[ \mathrm{Br}^r(X)(\ell)_{\mathrm{nd}} \times \mathrm{Br}^r(X)(\ell)_{\mathrm{nd}} \to \mathbb{Q}_\ell/\mathbb{Z}_\ell \] from the pairings \[ \mathrm{H}_{\mathrm{et}}^{2r}(X,\mu_{\ell^m}^{\otimes r}) \times \mathrm{H}_{\mathrm{et}}^{2r+1}(X,\mu_{\ell^m}^{\otimes r}) \to \mathrm{H}_{\mathrm{et}}^{4r+1}(X,\mu_{\ell^m}^{\otimes 2r}) \] and \[ \mathrm{H}_{\mathrm{et}}^{2r}(X,\mathbb{Q}_\ell/\mathbb{Z}_\ell(r))_{\mathrm{nd}} \times \mathrm{H}_{\mathrm{et}}^{2r+1}(X,\mathbb{Z}_\ell(r))_{\mathrm{tor}} \to \mathbb{Q}_\ell/\mathbb{Z}_\ell. \] For \(\ell = 2\), more work has to be done.