Essential dimension of algebraic groups, including bad characteristic (Q304055)

The \textit{essential dimension} of an algebraic group \(G\) is the minimal transcendence degree of the field of definition of a versal \(G\)-torsor. In this paper, the authors focus on the case where \(G\) is simple over an algebraically closed \(k\), in which case they give upper bounds on the essential dimension of \(G\) which are particularly notable because they hold regardless of the characteristic of \(k\). One consequence of their results is that, for simple \(G\), either the essential dimension of \(G\) is at most \(\dim G -2(\text{rank}\, G)-1\), or else \(G\) is isomorphic to \(\text{PGL}_2\), \(\text{Spin}_n\) or \(\text{HSpin}_n\) for some \(n\). The given upper bounds depend on showing that certain representations of \(G\) are generically free.