Division algebras with no common subfields (Q690077)

This paper is related to the following general question: When is a tensor product of (finite-dimensional) central division algebras a division algebra? An obvious necessary condition is that the factors do not contain isomorphic copies of some proper extension of the center. \textit{A. A. Albert} [Bull. Am. Math. Soc. 37, 301-312 (1931; Zbl 0001.26701)] has shown that this condition is sufficient when the given division algebras are quaternion algebras. However, \textit{A. Wadsworth} and the reviewer [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 302, 223-250 (1987; Zbl 0626.16005)] constructed for each odd integer \(n\) examples of central division algebras \(D_ 1\), \(D_ 2\) of degree \(n\) with the following properties: \(D_ 1\otimes D_ 2\) is not a division algebra but \(D_ 1\otimes D_ 2^{op}\) is a division algebra, where \(D_ 2^{op}\) denotes the opposite algebra of \(D_ 2\). This last condition guarantees that \(D_ 1\) and \(D_ 2\) do not contain isomorphic copies of any proper extension of the center. The purpose of the paper is to show that even if one requires that the Schur index of the tensor product \(D_ 1\otimes D_ 2\) be strictly smaller than the product of the degrees of \(D_ 1\) and \(D_ 2\) for all integers \(i\), it does not follow that \(D_ 1\) and \(D_ 2\) have in common a proper extension of the center. Specifically, the authors construct for each odd prime number \(p\) examples of central division algebras \(D_ 1\), \(D_ 2\) of degree \(p\) over a field \(K\) which do not contain isomorphic copies of any proper extension of \(K\), even though the Schur index of \(D_ 1^{\otimes i} \otimes D_ 2\) is \(p\) or all \(i\). The center \(K\) turns out to be the field of Laurent series in one indeterminate over a field \(F\) which is a finite extension of the completion of the rational function field \(\mathbb{Q}(T)\) with respect to some \(p\)-adic valuation. The methods of proof are mostly valuation-theoretic.