Reduced Whitehead groups of prime exponent algebras over \(p\)-adic curves (Q2663182)

Given a central simple algebra \(A\) over a field \(F\), the set of elements of reduced norm 1 is a multiplicative group, denoted by \(\operatorname{SL}_1(A)\). Since every (multiplicative) commutator \(aba^{-1}b^{-1}\) is of reduced norm 1, the multiplicative subgroup \([A^\times,A^\times]\) of \(A^\times\) generated by commutators is a subgroup of \(\operatorname{SL}_1(A)\). Tanaka and Artin raised the question (in 1943) of whether \(\operatorname{SL}_1(A)=[A^\times,A^\times]\). \textit{V. P. Platonov} showed [Proc. int. Congr. Math. Vol. 1, 311--317 (1980; Zbl 0425.16018)] that the answer is negative in general (with an example of \(A\) a biquaternion algebra over \(F=\mathbb{Q}_p(\!(x)\!)(\!(y)\!)\)) and that for fields of cohomological dimension 2 the answer is positive. This leaves the case of cohomological dimension 3 particularly interesting, and \textit{A. Suslin} [Transl., Ser. 2, Am. Math. Soc. 219, 125--147 (2006; Zbl 1238.12005)] conjectured that the answer is positive for algebras of degree \(\ell^2\) where \(\ell\) is a prime integer, based on Rost's result showing that this is indeed true when \(\ell=2\). The goal of this paper is to prove Suslin's conjecture for the special case of \(F\) being the function field of a curve over a \(p\)-adic field, with the additional assumptions that \(F\) contains primitive \(\ell^2\)th roots of unity and \(\ell\neq p\). The author relies on patching techniques developed by Harbater, Hartmann, and Krashen [\textit{D. Harbater} et al., Invent. Math. 178, No. 2, 231--263 (2009; Zbl 1259.12003); Comment. Math. Helv. 89, No. 1, 215--253 (2014; Zbl 1332.11046)].