Discriminants of involutions. (Q2508489)

Let \(K\) be a field of characteristic different from \(2\), and let \(A\) be a central simple \(K\)-algebra of finite dimension \([A:K]\) with an involution \(\sigma\) such that \(\sigma(\lambda)=\lambda\), \(\lambda\in K\). The discriminant \(\text{disc}(\sigma)\) of \(\sigma\) is defined as the square class of the reduced norm of any antisymmetric (respectively, symmetric) class of \(A\) depending on whether \(\sigma\) is orthogonal or symplectic. The paper under review gives an account mainly of the research of Knus, Parimala and Sridharan, published in the period of 1989-1993, in 5 articles (the latest one, joint with the author). It contains sketches of the proofs of the following theorems: (i) If \([A:K]=16\), then \(A\) possesses a quaternion \(\sigma\)-invariant \(K\)-subalgebra if and only if \(\text{disc}(\sigma)\) is trivial; (ii) If \([A:K]\geq 16\) and \(A\) is a division algebra, then the group of reduced norms of nonzero elements of \(A\) modulo squares of nonzero elements of \(K\) coincides with the set of discriminants of orthogonal involutions on \(A\).