arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Karim Johannes Becher.
Over a global field any finite number of central simple algebras of exponent dividing $m$ is split by a common cyclic field extension of degree $m$. We show that the same property holds for function fields of two-dimensional excellent schemes over a henselian local domain of dimension one or two with algebraically closed residue field.
The ruled residue theorem characterises residue field extensions for valuations on a rational function field. Under the assumption that the characteristic of the residue field is different from $2$ this theorem is extended here to function fields of conics. The main result is that there is at most one extension of a valuation from on the base field to the function field of a conic for which the residue field extension is transcendental but not ruled. Furthermore the situation when this valuation is present is characterised.
We study systems of quadratic forms over fields and their isotropy over 2-extensions. We apply this to obtain particular splitting fields for quaternion algebras defined over a finite field extension. As a consequence, we obtain that every central simple algebra of degree 16 is split by a 2-extension of degree at most 2^{16}.
Pfister's Local-Global Principle states that a quadratic form over a (formally) real field is weakly hyperbolic (i.e. represents a torsion element in the Witt ring) if and only if its total signature is zero. This result extends naturally to the setting of central simple algebras with involution. The present article provides a new proof of this result and extends it to the case of signatures at preorderings. Furthermore the quantitative relation between nilpotence and torsion is explored for quadratic forms as well as for central simple algebras with involution.
Given a central simple algebra with involution over an arbitrary field, étale subalgebras contained in the space of symmetric elements are investigated. The method emphasizes the similarities between the various types of involutions and privileges a unified treatment for all characteristics whenever possible. As a consequence a conceptual proof of a theorem of Rowen is obtained, which asserts that every division algebra of exponent two and degree eight contains a maximal subfield that is a triquadratic extension of the centre.
A theorem of Albert-Draxl states that if a tensor product of two quaternion division algebras $Q_1$, $Q_2$ over a field $F$ is not a division algebra, then there exists a separable quadratic extension of $F$ that embeds as a subfield in $Q_1$ and in $Q_2$. We establish a modified version of this result where the tensor product of quaternion algebras is replaced by the corestriction of a single quaternion algebra over a separable field extension. As a tool in the proof, we show that if the transfer of a nonsingular quadratic form $φ$ over a quadratic extension is isotropic for a linear functional $s$ such that $s(1)=0$, then $φ$ contains a nondegenerate subform defined over the base field.
In this paper we show that a split central simple algebra with quadratic pair which decomposes into a tensor product of quaternion algebras with involution and a quaternion algebra with quadratic pair is adjoint to a quadratic Pfister form. This result is new in characteristic two, otherwise it is equivalent to the Pfister Factor Conjecture proven in [3].