Euler cocycle and \(K_ 2\) (Q2366824)

The author constructs a canonical 2-cocycle on the group \(\text{PSL}(2,k)\) of a field \(k\) with values in the Witt group \(W(k)\). This yields a canonical homomorphism \(\rho: H_ 2(\text{SL}(2,k);\mathbb{Z})\to I^ 2(k)\), where \(I(k)\) is the fundamental ideal of \(W(k)\). The group \(k^*\) acts via outer automorphisms on \(\text{SL}(2,k)\) and via multiplication on \(W(k)\). It is shown that \(\rho\) is \(k^*\)-invariant. Passing to coinvariants, \(\rho\) induces a homomorphism \(\overline {\rho}: K_ 2(k)\to I^ 2(k)/I^ 3(k)\). The main result of the paper shows that \(\overline {\rho}\) is in fact equal to the Milnor symbol, which assigns to a symbol \(\{x,y\}\in K_ 2(k)\) the class of the Pfister form \(\langle\langle x,y\rangle\rangle\) in \(I^ 2(k)/I^ 3(k)\).