No label defined (Q3972836)

[For the entire collection see Zbl 0716.00007.] The author reports on various aspects of his research during the eighties; a common theme is that of finite dimensional algebras of arbitrary fields. The first circle of ideas concerns unirationality of conic bundles. As a sample consider the following problem: Suppose that \(A\) is a finite dimensional central simple algebra over \(k(x)\) with a \(k\)-point. Does \(A\) have a \(k\)-rational splitting field? If \(k\) is a real field, the answer is yes. --- From Dokl. Akad. Nauk BSSR 29, 1061-1064 (1985; Zbl 0609.14030), the author cites the following of his results concerning the circumstances of the problem: Theorem. If \(k\) is a Henselian field then \(A\) has a \(k\)-rational splitting field. \textit{I. I. Voronovich} has the following theorem which illustrates the connection between algebras and unirationality [Dokl. Akad Nauk BSSR 30, 773-775 (1986; Zbl 0609.12014)]: Suppose that \(k\) is perfect and any nonvoid absolutely irreducible algebraic variety of \(k\) has a \(k\)-point. Then \(A\) has a rational splitting field and any conic bundle over \(k\) is unirational. (Conic bundles are certain algebraic surfaces fibered over curves of genus zero with similar fibers: see the summary for the precise definitions.) A second circle of ideas concerns algebraic groups. Let \(G\) be a quasisimple and isotropic algebraic group over \(k\) and \(G_ k\) the group of rational elements over \(k\); let \(G_ k^ + \) be the subgroup generated by all unipotent elements of \(G_ k\) contained in the unipotent radical of some parabolic subgroup of \(G\), defined over \(k\). The Whitehead group of \(G\) is \(W(G_ k) =G_ k/G_ k^ + \), and the Kneser-Tits conjecture reads: If \(G\) is simply connected, then \(W(G_ k)=\{1\}\). The author reports on the status of the situation for classical groups over a finite dimensional division algebra \(D\) over a \(p\)-adic or algebraic number field [joint work with \textit{V. P. Platonov} in Math. USSR, Izv. 25, 573-599 (1985); translation from Izv. Akad. Nauk SSSR, Ser. Mat. 48, No. 6, 1266-1294 (1984; Zbl 0579.16011)], and joint work with \textit{A. P. Monastyrnyj}, Preprint 8 (318), Inst. Mat. Akad. Nauk BSSR, Minsk (April 1988); see Sov. Math., Dokl. 42, No. 2, 351-335 (1991); translation from Dokl. Akac. Nauk SSSR 314, No. 1, 110-114 (1990)]. Roughly, \(W(G_ k)\) is trivial for \(B_ \ell\) and \(C_ \ell\), and nontrivial for \(A_ \ell\) and \(D_ \ell\).