A lower bound on the essential dimension of simple algebras. (Q716051)

Let \(F\) be a field and \(A\) an algebraic structure defined over an extension \(K\) of \(F\). By the essential dimension of \(A\), we mean informally the minimal number of algebraically independent parameters required to define \(A\) over an extension of \(F\). More precisely, this is the least transcendence degree \(\text{tr.deg}_F(K_0)\), where \(K_0\) runs over the set of those intermediate fields of \(K/F\), which are fields of definition of \(A\). Formally, let \(p=0\) or \(p\) be a prime number different from the characteristic \(\text{char}(F)\), \(\mathcal Sets\) the category of sets, and \(\text{Fields}/F\) the category of field extensions of \(F\) and field \(F\)-homomorphisms. Let \(\mathcal F\colon\text{Fields}/F\to\mathcal Sets\) be a functor (an ``algebraic structure'') and \(K,E\in\text{Fields}/F\). An element \(\alpha\in\mathcal F(E)\) is said to be \(p\)-defined over \(K\) (and \(K\) is called a field of \(p\)-definition of \(\alpha\)), if there exist a finite field extension \(E'/E\) of degree prime to \(p\) (so \(E'=E\) in case \(p=0\)), a field \(F\)-homomorphism \(K\to E'\), and an element \(\beta\in\mathcal F(K)\), such that the image of \(\alpha\) under the map \(\mathcal F(E)\to\mathcal F(E')\) coincides with the image of \(\beta\) under the map \(\mathcal F(K)\to\mathcal F(E')\). The essential \(p\)-dimension of \(\alpha\), denoted by \(\text{ed}_p^{\mathcal F}(\alpha)\), is defined as the least transcendence degree \(\text{tr.deg}_F(K)\), when \(K\) runs over the fields of \(p\)-definition of \(\alpha\). The essential \(p\)-dimension of the functor \(\mathcal F\) is the supremum \(\text{ed}_p(\mathcal F)\) of the \(p\)-dimensions \(\text{ed}_p^{\mathcal F}(\alpha)\), taken over fields \(E\in\text{Fields}/F\) and all \(\alpha\in\mathcal F(E)\). The number \(\text{ed}_0(\mathcal F)\) is called the essential dimension of \(\mathcal F\), and is also denoted by \(\text{ed}(\mathcal F)\). The paper under review considers the functor \(\mathcal F=\text{CSA}_F(n):=\text{CSA}(n)\), which takes a field extension \(K/F\) to the set of isomorphism classes of central simple \(K\)-algebras of degree \(n\). It is known that \(\text{ed}(\text{CSA}(n_1n_2))\leq\text{ed}(\text{CSA}(n_1))+\text{ed}(\text{CSA}(n_2))\), provided that \((n_1,n_2)=1\). The main result of the paper under review shows that \(\text{ed}_p(\text{CSA}_F(p^r))\geq (r-1)p^r+1\), provided that \(p\) is prime and \(p\neq\text{char}(F)\). This substantially improves previously known lower bounds on \(\text{ed}_ p(\text{CSA}(p^r)\) obtained by Meyer, Reichstein and Youssin. The essential \(p\)-dimension measures the complexity of the class of central simple algebras of degree \(p^r\) over field extensions of \(F\). In addition, the author determines the essential \(p\)-dimensions of several related functors. Specifically, he proves that \(\text{ed}(\text{CSA}(G))=\text{ed}_p(\text{CSA}(G))=(r-1)p^r+1\), where \(G\) is an elementary Abelian group of order \(p^r\), and \(\text{CSA}(G)\) is the subfunctor of \(\text{CSA}(p^r)\) which takes a field extension \(K/F\) to the set of isomorphism classes of central \(K\)-algebras presentable as \(G\)-crossed products.