No label defined (Q4650893)

Let \(K\) be a perfect field of characteristic \(\neq 2\), let \(P(x)\in K[x]\), and let \(a\) be the discriminant of \(P(x)\). Suppose that \(P(x)\) is an irreducible polynomial of degree 3 with symmetric Galois group and that \(a\neq b^2\) for \(b\in K\). Let \(X\) be the affine surface defined over \(K\) by the equation \(y^2-az^2 = P(x)\) and let \(Y\) be the threefold defined over \(k\), for \(K = k(t)\), by the same equation. Suppose, moreover, that the field \(k\) is algebraically closed. Under these assumptions, \textit{A. Beauville, J.-L. Colliot-Théléne, J.-J. Sansuc}, and \textit{P. Swinnerton-Dyer} [Ann. Math. (2) 121, 283--318 (1985; Zbl 0589.14042)] proved that the variety \(X\) (respectively \(Y\)) is not \(K\)-rational (respectively not \(k\)-rational), but \(X\times \mathbb{A}^3_K\) is \(K\)-rational and \(Y\times \mathbb{A}^3_k\) is \(k\)-rational. Improving on their results, the author proves that already \(X\times \mathbb{A}^2_K\) is \(K\)-rational and \(Y\times \mathbb{A}^2_k\) is \(k\)-rational. For the entire collection see [Zbl 1051.00013].