Formula for the Rost invariant (Q646475)

Let \(G\) be an absolutely simple simply connected algebraic group over a field \(k\). Then \(G\) has a canonical cohomological invariant \(r_G: H^1(?, G) \to H^3(?)\) of degree 3, called the \textit{Rost invariant} of \(G\), (see e.g. [\textit{S. Garibaldi}, \textit{A. Merkurjev} and \textit{J.-P. Serre}, Cohomological invariants in Galois cohomology. University Lecture Series 28. Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society (AMS) (2003; Zbl 1159.12311)]). Here \(H^1(?,G): \mathop{Fields}_k \to \mathop{Sets}\) stands for the functor which assigns to a field extension \(K/k\) the Galois cohomology set \(H^1(K,G)\) (equivalently: the set of isomorphism classes of \(G\)-torsors over \(K\)), and \(H^d(?): \mathop{Fields}_k \to \mathop{Sets}\) is the functor defined by \(H^d(K):=H^d(K,(\mathbb{Q}/\mathbb{Z})(d-1))\) for \(d\geq 1\). The existence of the Rost invariant has been conjectured by J.-P. Serre and proven by M. Rost in the early 1990's. The main achievement of the paper under review, which is written in French, is a precise computation of the Rost invariant of the group \(G=\mathrm{SL}_1(A)\), where \(A\) is a central simple \(k\)-algebra. Namely it is shown that, for every field extension \(K/k\) and \(v\in K^\times\) the Rost invariant of \([v] \in K^\times/\mathrm{Nrd}(A_K^\times) = H^1(K,\mathop{SL_1}(A))\) is given by the cup product \[ r_{SL_1(A)}([v]) = (v) \cup [A_K] \in H^3(K) \] if the index of \(A\) is not divisible by the characteristic of \(k\), and \[ r_{SL_1(A)}([v]) = - (v) \cup [A_K] \in H^3(K) \] if \(k\) is of characteristic \(p>0\) and the index of \(A\) is a power of \(p\). Here the cup product in the first case is the usual one and in the second case it is explained in the paper. The proof of the result is based on an explicit computation with cocycles in Galois cohomology in the case where \(A\) is a cyclic algebra. Two applications of the main result are given. The first one gives a formula for the restriction of the Rost invariant to the center of an absolutely simple simply connected algebraic group \(G\), i.e., the composition \[ \rho_G: H^1(?,Z(G)) \to H^1(?,G)\to H^3(?), \] where the first arrow is induced by the inclusion of the center \(Z(G)\) (which is assumed to be smooth) into \(G\). Previously it was known that there is an identity \(\rho_G([v]) = m [v]\cup t_G \in H^3(K)\) for some \(m\geq 0\), where \(t_G \in H^2(k,Z)\) is the Tits class of \(G\), see [\textit{A. S. Merkurjev}, \textit{R. Parimala} and \textit{J.-P. Tignol}, St. Petersbg. Math. J. 14, No. 5, 791--821 (2003) and Algebra Anal. 14, No. 5, 110--151 (2002; Zbl 1041.11023)] and [\textit{S. Garibaldi} and \textit{A. Quéguiner-Mathieu}, St. Petersbg. Math. J. 19, No. 2, 197--213 (2008); translation from Algebra Anal. 19, No. 2, 52--73 (2007; Zbl 1209.11045)]. The paper under review now gives the precise value of \(m\) that fits into this formula. The second application concerns groups of type \(G_2\), \(F_4\) and \(E_8\) whose center is trivial (thus \(\rho_G\) is trivial, too). These groups have a subgroup of the form \(A=\mu_l \times \mu_l \times \mathbb{Z}/l\mathbb{Z}\) with finite centralizer. A precise formula is given for the restriction of the Rost invariant of these groups to the subgroup \(A\). As a corollary the authors obtain that the modulo 3 part of the Rost invariant of the class \([J(A,\lambda)] \in H^1(k,F_4)\) of an Albert algebra arising from the first Tits construction is given by \(g_3([J(A,\lambda)])=[A]\cup (\lambda) \in H^3(k,\mu_3^{\otimes^2})\). This coincides with the cohomological invariant of Albert algebras constructed by \textit{M. Rost} [C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Sér. I Math. 313 No. 12, 823--827 (1991; Zbl 0756.17014)] and the more elementary construction given by \textit{H. P. Petersson} and \textit{M. L. Racine} [Indag. Math. (N.S.), 7 No. 3, 343--365 (1996; Zbl 0872.17029)].