The essential $2$-dimension of the linear groups

Abstract

In this paper, we compute the essential $2$-dimension when the defining prime is odd of the general linear groups, the projective general linear groups, the special linear groups when $n$ is odd or $n = 2$, as well as the special linear groups and quotients of it (such as the projective special linear groups) in the case case $q \equiv 1 \mod 4$, $s = v_2(q-1)$, and $\Gamma = \text{Gal}(k(\zeta_{2^s})/k)$ is trivial.