The topological period-index problem over 6-complexes (Q2921092)

Letting \(X\) be a finite CW complex, the topological Brauer group of \(X\) is \(\text{Br}_{\text{top}}(X)=H^3(X, \mathbb{Z})_{\text{tors}}\), For \(\alpha \in \text{Br}_{\text{top}}(X)\) we denote by \(\text{per}_{\text{top}}(\alpha)\) and \(\text{ind}_{\text{top}}(\alpha)\) the period and index of \(\alpha\), which are defined respectively to be the order of \(\alpha\) and the greatest common divisor of all integers \(n\) for each of which there is a principal \(\text{PU}_{\text{n}}\)-bundle \(P \to X\) such that the equivalence class of \(P\) is \(\alpha\). Then, \(\text{per}_{\text{top}}(\alpha) \mid \text{ind}_{\text{top}}(\alpha)\) holds in general and moreover we know from [the authors, Geom. Topol. 18, No. 2, 1115--1148 (2014; Zbl 1288.19006)] that these two invariants have the same prime divisors. Attention here is particularly focused on the conjecture that if \(\text{dim} X=2d\), then \(\text{ind}_{\text{top}}(\alpha) \;| \;\text{per}_{\text{top}}(\alpha)^{d-1}\), called the period-index conjecture. In this paper the authors obtain four theorems, the first of which gives a disproof of the above conjecture. The second theorem states that when \(\text{dim} X \leq 6\), \(\text{ind}_{\text{top}}(\alpha)\) divides \(\text{per}_{\text{top}}(\alpha)^2\) if \(\text{per}_{\text{top}}(\alpha)\) is odd and divides \(2\text{per}_{\text{top}}(\alpha)^2\) if \(\text{per}_{\text{top}}(\alpha)\) is even, which follows directly from the first by taking \(X=\text{sk}_6(K(\mathbb{Z}/n, 2))\). The last two theorems discusses applications of these two theorems to the case of schemes, in which it is proved that if given a certain smooth projective complex 3-fold \(X\), there holds \(\text{ind}(\alpha) \nmid \text{per}(\alpha)^2\) for some \(\alpha \in \text{Br}(\mathbb{C}(X))\) and that there is a smooth affine complex 5-fold \(X\) such that any period 2-class \(\alpha \in \text{Br}(X)\) is not in the image of the total Clifford invariant map.