Some remarks on the Maslov index

arXiv2105.04337MaRDI QIDQ6367267FDOQ6367267

Authors: Wolfgang Pitsch 

Publication date: 10 May 2021

Abstract: It is a classical fact that Wall's index of a triplet of Lagrangians in a symplectic space over a field $k$ defines a $2$-cocycle $m{u}_W$ on the associated symplectic group with values in the Witt group of $k$. Moreover, modulo the square of the fundamental ideal this is a trivial $2$-cocycle. In this work we revisit this fact from the viewpoint of the theory of Sturm sequences and Sylvester matrices developed by J.~Barge and J.~Lannes in teir book Suites de Sturm, indice de Maslov et p'eriodicit'e de Bott, volume 267 of Progress in Mathematics. Birkh"auser Verlag, Basel, 2008. We define a refinement by a factor of $2$ of Wall's cocycle and use the technology of Sylvester matrices to give an explicit formula for the coboundary associated to the mod $I^2$ reduction of the cocycle which is valid for any field of characteristic different from $2$. Finally we explicitly compute the values of the coboundary on standard elements of the symplectic group.

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Extensions, wreath products, and other compositions of groups (20E22) Algebraic theory of quadratic forms; Witt groups and rings (11E81) Witt groups of rings (19G12)

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