Involutions of Azumaya algebras

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Azumaya algebra Brauer group equivariant homotopy theory involution ramification sheaf cohomology

Bilinear and Hermitian forms (11E39) Brauer groups of schemes (14F22) Separable algebras (e.g., quaternion algebras, Azumaya algebras, etc.) (16H05) Equivariant homotopy theory in algebraic topology (55P91)

Abstract: We consider the general circumstance of an Azumaya algebra

A

of degree

n

over a locally ringed topos

(m a t h b f X, {m a t h c a l O}_{m a t h b f X})

where the latter carries a (possibly trivial) involution, denoted

l a m b d a

. This generalizes the usual notion of involutions of Azumaya algebras over schemes with involution, which in turn generalizes the notion of involutions of central simple algebras. We provide a criterion to determine whether two Azumaya algebras with involutions extending

l a m b d a

are locally isomorphic, describe the equivalence classes obtained by this relation, and settle the question of when an Azumaya algebra

A

is Brauer equivalent to an algebra carrying an involution extending

l a m b d a

, by giving a cohomological condition. We remark that these results are novel even in the case of schemes, since we allow ramified, nontrivial involutions of the base object. We observe that, if the cohomological condition is satisfied, then

A

is Brauer equivalent to an Azumaya algebra of degree

2 n

carrying an involution. By comparison with the case of topological spaces, we show that the integer

2 n

is minimal, even in the case of a nonsingular affine variety

X

with a fixed-point free involution. As an incidental step, we show that if

R

is a commutative ring with involution for which the fixed ring

S

is local, then either

R

is local or

R / S

is a quadratic 'etale extension of rings.

Review text

Let \(A\) be a central simple algebra over a field \(K\). An involution on \(A\) is an anti-automorphism \(\tau\) of \(A\) of order two. \(\tau\) is said to be of the first kind if it fixes the elements of \(K\) and of the second kind otherwise. An involution of the second kind is called a \(\lambda\)-involution if it restricts to \(\lambda\) on \(K\). Central simple algebras with involution play an important role in the theory of algebraic groups and Galois cohomology (see for example [\textit{M.-A. Knus} et al., The book of involutions. With a preface by J. Tits. Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society (1998; Zbl 0955.16001)]). Suppose that \(K/F\) is a quadratic Galois extension and denote by \(\lambda\) the non-trivial \(F\)-automorphism of \(K\). \textit{A. A. Albert} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 43, 386--436 (1938; Zbl 0018.34202)], \textit{C. R. Riehm} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 353, No. 12, 4687--4727 (2001; Zbl 0994.20005)], and \textit{W. Scharlau} [Quadratic and Hermitian forms. Berlin: Springer (1985; Zbl 0584.10010)] proved that a central simple \(K\)-algebra admits a \(\lambda\)-involution if and only if its Brauer class lies in the kernel of the corestriction map \(\text{Br}(K) \rightarrow \text{Br}(F)\). The notion of central simple algebras and involutions extends to Azumaya algebras over rings. The above theorem was generalized to the case of a quadratic Galois extension of rings \(R/S\) by \textit{D. J. Saltman} in [J. Algebra 52, 526--539 (1978; Zbl 0382.16003)]. In this case, a Brauer class lies in the kernel of the corestriction \(\text{Br}(R) \rightarrow \text{Br}(S)\) if and only if some representative \(A'\) of the Brauer class admits a \(\lambda\)-involution. In particular, not every representative of the Brauer class of an Azumaya algebra \(A\) admits a \(\lambda\)-involution. However, Knus, Parimala, and Srinavas showed that one may choose a representative \(A'\) with \(\text{deg}(A') \leq 2 \text{deg}(A)\) [\textit{M. A. Knus} et al., J. Algebra 130, No. 1, 65--82 (1990; Zbl 0695.16003)]. In the present article, the authors generalize this statement to the case of Azumaya algebras over locally ringed topoi. To this end, they first develop the theory of \(\lambda\)-involutions of Azumaya algebras and present a classification of \(\lambda\)-involutions into types (see Section 4). The generalization of Saltman's Theorem to the case of locally ringed topoi is given in Theorem 6.10 of the present paper. Let \(X\) be a locally ringed topos with involution \(\lambda\). An \( \mathcal{O}_X\)-algebra \(A\) of degree \(n\) is equivalent to an algebra \(A'\) admitting a \(\lambda\)-involution of type \(t\) if and only if \(\text{transf}([A]) = \Phi(t)\), where \(\text{transf}: \text{Br}(X) \rightarrow H^2_{\text{et}} \left(Y,\mathbb{G}_m\right)\) is a transfer map, and \(\Phi(t)\) is a cohomology class depending on the type of \(\lambda\). Furthermore, the algebra \(A'\) may be chosen so that \(\text{deg}(A') = 2n\). The proof of the Theorem is purely cohomological. In Section 7, the authors give a number of examples. In particular, they construct schemes \(X\) with involution \(\lambda\) that are neither unramified nor trivial. Finally, Section 8 and 9 focus on the construction of an Azumaya algebra \(A\) of degree \(n\) over a ring \(R\) with an unramified involution \(\lambda\), so that \(A\) is Brauer equivalent to an algebra \(A'\) with \(\lambda\)-involution, but the least possible degree of such an \(A'\) is \(2n\) (Theorem 9.8).

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