Cohomological invariants of Jordan algebras with frames (Q961021)

A well known result in quadratic form theory and Galois cohomology states that the Stiefel-Whitney invariants (and their linear combinations) are the only cohomological invariants of isometry classes of quadratic forms in the Galois cohomology groups \(H^*(k):=H^*(\text{Gal}(k_s/k),{\mathbb Z}/2{\mathbb Z})\). In the language of torsors, this gives a classification of all cohomological invariants with \({\mathbb Z}/2{\mathbb Z}\) coefficients of \({\text{O}}_n\)-torsors. The aim of the present paper is to classify, in a similar sense as above, all cohomological invariants with \({\mathbb Z}/2{\mathbb Z}\) coefficients of \(G\)-torsors for a large class of groups \(G\). More specifically, the groups \(G\) under consideration are denoted by \(G^r_{n_{\bullet}}\), where \(0\leq r\leq 3\), \(n_{\bullet}=(n_1,\dots, n_d)\) is an ordered tuple with \(n_1\) odd and \(n=n_1+\dots+n_d\geq 3\), and \(n=3\) if \(r=3\). The descriptions are as follows: \(G^0_{n_{\bullet}}\cong {\text{SO}}_{n_1}\times {\text{O}}_{n_2}\times \dots\times {\text{O}}_{n_d}\); \(G^1_{n_{\bullet}}\cong {\mathbb Z}/2{\mathbb Z}\ltimes \bigl({\text{GL}}_{n_1}\times\dots\times {\text{GL}}_{n_d}/{\text{GL}}_{1}\bigr)\); \(G^2_{n_{\bullet}}\cong {\text{Sp}}_{2n_1}\times\dots\times {\text{Sp}}_{2n_d}/(-1,\dots,-1)\); \(G^3_3\) split of type \(F_4\); \(G^{3}_{1,2}\cong {\text{Spin}}(9)\); \(G^{3}_{1,1,1}\cong {\text{Spin}}(8)\). All these groups arise as automorphism groups of odd degree simple Jordan algebras. In the paper one also finds explicit descriptions of the respective Jordan algebras. The main result states that the cohomological invariants with \({\mathbb Z}/2{\mathbb Z}\) coefficients of \(G^r_{n_{\bullet}}\)-torsors have an \(H^*(k)\)-basis. More precisely, for \(r\) and \(n_i\) as above, consider the polynomial \[ p(t)=1+\frac{t^r}{1+t}\prod_{i=1}^d(1+t+\dots +t^{n_i})\in {\mathbb Z}[t]\;. \] Then \(\text{Inv}(G^r_{n_{\bullet}},{\mathbb Z}/2{\mathbb Z})\) has an \(H^*(k)\)-basis such that the number of generators in \(H^i(k)\) is the coefficient of \(t^i\) in \(p(t)\) for \(r\neq 0\), and in \(p(t)-1\) for \(r=0\). The case \(d=1\) has been shown previously by the author [Math.\ Proc.\ Camb.\ Philos.\ Soc.\ 145, No.\ 2, 295--303 (2008; Zbl 1167.11016)]. The cases \(r=0\) and \(r=3\) have been treated by \textit{S. Garibaldi, 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)] and \textit{S. Garibaldi} [Cohomological invariants: exceptional groups and spin groups. Mem.\ Am.\ Math.\ Soc.\ 937 (2009; Zbl 1191.11009)]. New are the cases when \(r=1,2\) and \(d>1\). The final section of the present paper contains results on the essential (\(2\)-)dimension of these groups. It is shown that \(\text{ed}(G^r_{n_{\bullet}},2)=r+n-1\), and if \(r=0\) or \(2\), or if \(\gcd(n_1,\dots,n_d)=1\), then \(\text{ed}(G^r_{n_{\bullet}})= \text{ed}(G^r_{n_{\bullet}},2)\).