R-triviality of some exceptional groups

arXiv1704.07811MaRDI QIDQ6285941FDOQ6285941

Authors: Maneesh Thakur 

Publication date: 25 April 2017

Abstract: The main aim of this paper is to prove $R$-triviality for simple, simply connected algebraic groups with Tits index $E_{8,2}^{78}$ or $E_{7,1}^{78}$, defined over a field $k$ of arbitrary characteristic. Let $G$ be such a group. We prove that there exists a quadratic extension $K$ of $k$ such that $G$ is $R$-trivial over $K$, i.e., for any extension $F$ of $K$, $G(F)/R=1$, where $G(F)/R$ denotes the group of $R$-equivalence classes in $G(F)$, in the sense of Manin (see cite{M}). As a consequence, it follows that the variety $G$ is retract $K$-rational and that the Kneser-Tits conjecture holds for these groups over $K$. Moreover, $G(L)$ is projectively simple as an abstract group for any field extension $L$ of $K$. In their monograph (cite{TW}) J. Tits and Richard Weiss conjectured that for an Albert division algebra $A$ over a field $k$, its structure group $Str(A)$ is generated by scalar homotheties and its $U$-operators. This is known to be equivalent to the Kneser-Tits conjecture for groups with Tits index $E_{8,2}^{78}$. We settle this conjecture for Albert division algebras which are first constructions, in affirmative. These results are obtained as corollaries to the main result, which shows that if $A$ is an Albert division algebra which is a first construction and $Gamma$ its structure group, i.e., the algebraic group of the norm similarities of $A$, then $Gamma(F)/R=1$ for any field extension $F$ of $k$, i.e., $Gamma$ is $R$-trivial.

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Ternary compositions (17A40) Linear algebraic groups over arbitrary fields (20G15) Associated groups, automorphisms of Jordan algebras (17C30)

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