Isotropy of symplectic involutions. (Q611153)

Let \(F\) be a field of characteristic different from \(2\), and \(A\) a central simple \(F\)-algebra with an involution \(\sigma\). The paper under review proves (as Theorem 1) that if \(\sigma\) is symplectic, then the following two conditions are equivalent: (i) \(\sigma\) becomes isotropic over any field extension \(E/F\) such that the tensor product \(A\otimes_FE\) is a quaternion division \(E\)-algebra; (ii) \(\sigma\) becomes isotropic over some finite extension of \(F\) of odd degree. When \(\sigma\) is orthogonal, it is announced (as Theorem 2) that condition (ii) holds if and only if \(\sigma\) becomes isotropic over any splitting field of \(A\). Theorem 1 is deduced from Theorem 2, and for a proof of Theorem 2, the reader is referred to the author's ``electronic'' preprint [Isotropy of orthogonal involutions. \url{arXiv:0911.4170v2}]. As explained by the author, the restriction on \(\text{char}(F)\) is needed in the proofs of both theorems.