No label defined (Q3977463)

[For the entire collection see Zbl 0676.00006.] The author extends results of \textit{M. Artin} [see Brauer groups in ring theory and algebraic geometry, Proc., Antwerp 1981, Lect. Notes Math. 917, 182-193 (1982; Zbl 0506.14003)] and gives a general framework for the study of Brauer-Severi schemes. If \(A\) is an \(R\)-algebra, denote by \(\mathbf{BSev}_ n(A,R)\) the set of surjective maps \(A\twoheadrightarrow P\) of \(A\)-modules where \(P\) is projective of rank \(n\) as an \(R\)-module. \(\mathbf{BSev}_ n(A,R)\) defines a function from commutative \(R\)-algebras to sets by \(S\to\mathbf{BSev}_ n(A\otimes S, S)\) which can be extended from Spec \(R\)-schemes to sets. Since \(\mathbf{BSev}\) is a closed subfunctor of the Grassmannian, the functor \(\mathbf{BSev}_ n(A,R)\) is representable by the Brauer-Severi scheme \(\mathbf{BSev}_ n(A,R)\). If \(R\) is an algebraically closed field and \(F_ I\) is a free algebra on the index set \(I\) then the author shows \(\mathbf{BSev}_ n(F_ I,R)\) has an open covering by affine spaces. If \(| I|\) is finite then this covering is finite and the dimension of those affine spaces is \((| I|- 1)n^ 2+n\). The author also rederives a result of D. Saltman by showing that the Brauer-Severi variety of the generic division algebra is rational over the ground field.