Invariants of \(\mathrm G_2\) and Spin(7) in positive characteristic (Q724211)

Let \(F\) be an infinite field of arbitrary characteristic. Over this field there exists an analogue of the octonion algebra, the \textit{split Cayley algebra} \(\mathbb{O}(F)\). The group of automorphisms of this algebra is the simple exceptional group \(G_2\). It is naturally embedded into the group \(\mathrm{Spin}(7)\) as the stabilizer of a nonzero spinor. For these groups, one can ask for an analogue of the First Fundamental Theorem of invariant theory: what are the invariants of \(G_2\) and \(\mathrm{Spin}(7)\) acting on several copies of octonions? The answer to this question was obtained in [\textit{G. W. Schwarz}, Comment. Math. Helv. 63, No. 4, 624--663 (1988; Zbl 0664.14006)] for the ground field of characteristic zero. In this paper this result is extended to an arbitrary infinite field of odd characteristic. More specifically, the authors show that the corresponding algebras of invariants are generated by the same invariants of degree at most 4 as in the case of zero characteristic.