Zero cycles on homogeneous varieties (Q962141)

The main aim of the article under review is to prove that for certain homogeneous spaces \(X\) of simple algebraic groups of the classical types \(A_n, B_n, C_n, D_n\) the group \(A_0(X)\) of zero-dimensional cycles of degree zero modulo rational equivalence is trivial. For the type \(A_n\) this is proved for a Severi-Brauer variety (recovering a result of Panin) and for some Severi-Brauer flag varieties. Here the ground field is either perfect or its characteristic does not divide the index of the underlying central simple algebra. In the \(B_n\) and \(D_n\) cases the result is obtained for any orthogonal involution variety, assuming that the characteristic is not 2. In the \(C_n\) case the author takes \(X=V_2(A,\sigma)\), a second generalized involution variety for a central simple algebra \(A\) with symplectic involution \(\sigma\). The idea of the proof is to translate the rational equivalence of zero-dimensional cycles on a projective variety into R-equivalence (i.e. connecting points with rational curves) on symmetric powers of the original variety, and then relate these symmetric powers to moduli spaces of étale subalgebras of central simple algebras. The author proposes a construction of such moduli spaces.