Reality properties of conjugacy classes in algebraic groups. (Q940757)

Let \(G\) be an algebraic group defined over a field \(k\). We call \(g\in G\) real if \(g\) is conjugate to its inverse, and \(k\)-real if this is so inside \(G(k)\). We call \(g\) strongly real if it is the product of two involutions. The authors treat the relations between these concepts in many cases: Groups of type \(A_\ell\) (split or not), orthogonal groups of quadratic forms, symplectic groups, unitary groups, type \(G_2\). There may be conditions on \(g\), like being regular semisimple. When \(g\) is real, it is \(k\)-real if and only if a certain torsor has a \(k\)-rational point. Thus Galois cohomology comes in and they can prove better results for fields of cohomological dimension at most one.