Decomposable and indecomposable algebras of degree 8 and exponent 2. (Q2454432)

In the article under review, the author studies the decomposition of central simple algebras of exponent \(2\) into tensor products of quaternion algebras. A central simple algebra \(A\) over a field \(F\) is said to be \textit{decomposable} if \(A\simeq A_1\otimes A_2\) for two central simple \(F\)-algebras \(A_1\) and \(A_2\) both non isomorphic to \(F\); otherwise \(A\) is called \textit{indecomposable}. It is known that there exist non-trivial indecomposable central simple algebras of exponent \(2\), and the decomposability question depends on the cohomological dimension of the ground field. It is also known that there is no indecomposable algebra of exponent \(2\) over a field of cohomological dimension \(0\) and \(1\), and that over a field of cohomological dimension \(2\) any central simple algebra of exponent \(2\) is isomorphic to a tensor product of quaternion algebras. On the other hand, the known examples of indecomposable algebras of exponent \(2\) are constructed over fields of cohomological dimension greater than or equal to \(5\). The main goal of the article under review is to extend the existence of indecomposable algebras of exponent \(2\) to some fields of cohomological dimension \(3\). The main result asserts that there exists no indecomposable algebra of degree \(8\) and exponent \(2\) over a field of \(u\)-invariant smaller than or equal to \(8\). The author also gives the example of an indecomposable algebra of degree \(8\) and exponent \(2\) over a field of rational functions in one variable over a field of \(u\)-invariant \(8\).