A classification of exceptional components in group algebras over abelian number fields (Q2801837)

A rational algebra is called exceptional if it is either a non-commutative finite dimensional division algebra other than a totally definite quaternion algebra whose center is an abelian number field (type 1) or a \(2\times 2\) matrix ring over \({\mathbb Q}\), and imaginary quadratic number field, or a definite quaternion algebra with center \({\mathbb Q}\) (type 2). The paper classifies all finite groups that have a faithful rational representation whose image generates an exceptional algebra over some finite abelian extension \(F\) of \({\mathbb Q}\). For type 2 there are only finitely many such groups, the largest one is of order 1920. For type 1 the classification is more involved as the degree of the representation is unbounded and Theorem 4.12 lists the four different infinite families of minimal (so called \(F\)-critical) groups. Note that due to the existence of cyclic algebras the Schur index cannot be bounded in the type 1 case.