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A central division algebra over $K$ is a finite-dimensional division algebra whose center is exactly $K$. It is a central simple algebra. Every Brauer group class has a unique central division algebra representative up to isomorphism.

If $A\cong M_r(D)$ with $D$ a central division algebra, its index is $\mathrm{deg}D$. It depends only on the Brauer group class. The index divides every finite splitting-field degree and equals the degree of a maximal subfield of the division representative.

A central simple algebra over $K$ is a finite-dimensional associative unital $K$-algebra $A$ with no nonzero proper two-sided ideals and center exactly $K$. Its dimension is a square, ${\dim }_{K}A=n^2$. The Artin–Wedderburn theorem writes it as $M_r(D)$ for a uniquely determined central division algebra $D$ up to isomorphism. One obtains this structure by taking a minimal left ideal and its commuting division endomorphism ring; the simple algebra acts as all endomorphisms over that ring. Over a suitable finite splitting field it becomes a full matrix algebra.

The Brauer group identifies two central simple algebras if their division-algebra parts agree, equivalently if tensoring each with suitable matrix algebras makes them isomorphic. The product is tensor product, the identity is the class of $K$, and the inverse of $[A]$ is $[A^{\mathrm{op}}]$. Indeedis an isomorphism for a central simple algebra, so the product class is split. This also explains why matrix size is irrelevant to the Brauer class. The order of the class is its period, while the degree of its division-algebra representative is its index; these are different notions in general.

For the cyclic algebra construction, take a cyclic extension $L/K$ of degree $m$, a generator $\sigma$ and $a\in K^{\ast }$. SetThe multiplication is obtained by moving coefficients past $u$ and replacing every $u^m$ by $a$. It is associative: reducing a product of three monomials gives the same total exponent, the same power of $a$ and the same iterated automorphisms in either order. The scalar $a$ is fixed by $\sigma$ and ${\sigma }^m=1$, so reduction is consistent.

An element commuting with every $\ell \in L$ has only its $u^0$ coefficient nonzero, because ${\sigma }^i\ne 1$ for $0<i<m$. Commuting with $u$ then forces that coefficient into $K$, proving that the center is $K$. To prove simplicity, choose a nonzero element of a nonzero ideal with the fewest nonzero monomial coefficients. Since $u$ is invertible and each nonzero coefficient in $L$ is invertible, normalize one term to be the constant one. If another term remains, its automorphism differs from the identity; commuting with a suitable element of $L$ eliminates the constant term but not that other term. This gives a shorter nonzero element, a contradiction. The minimal element is therefore a unit, and the ideal is all of $A$. Thus $A$ is central simple of dimension $m^2$.

It splits over $L$. For example, over $L$ represent $\ell$ by the diagonal matrix with entries $\ell ,\sigma (\ell ),\dots ,{\sigma }^{m-1}(\ell )$, and let $u$ shift the standard basis down one place, sending the first vector to $a$ times the last. These matrices satisfy the defining relations. A primitive element of the separable extension $L/K$ has distinct conjugates; the Vandermonde matrix of their powers is invertible. Thus the diagonal images span all diagonal matrices after scalar extension to $L$. Multiplying the diagonal matrix units by powers of the shift gives every matrix unit, proving $A{\otimes }_{K}L\cong M_m(L)$.

The particularly useful splitting criterion isIf $a=N(b)$, let the algebra act on $L$ by multiplication for $\ell$ and by the semilinear operator $b\sigma$ for $u$. Its $m$th power is multiplication by $N(b)=a$, so this gives an isomorphism with ${\mathrm{End}}_K(L)$, by simplicity and dimension. Conversely, a split algebra acts on an $m$-dimensional $K$-space $V$. Restriction to the subfield $L$ makes $V$ one-dimensional over $L$, and $u$ is a nonzero $\sigma$-semilinear operator. In an $L$-basis it is $b\sigma$, so $u^m=a$ forces $a=N(b)$. More generally the relative Brauer group split by a cyclic $L/K$ is $K^{\ast }/N_{L/K}{L}^{\ast }$, with multiplication of parameters corresponding to addition of classes.

For a finite field, a finite division algebra is commutative by Wedderburn's little theorem. Therefore every central simple algebra is a matrix algebra and $\boxed{\mathrm{Br}({\mathbb{F}}_q)=0}$. The cyclic-algebra viewpoint gives the same conclusion for cyclic classes because the norm between finite fields is surjective on their cyclic multiplicative groups.

For a nonarchimedean local field, the local Brauer invariant givesAn unramified cyclic extension of degree $m$, with arithmetic Frobenius generator, gives invariant $v_K(a)/m$ to its cyclic algebra. Question 2 shows that all units are norms; norm valuations are multiples of $m$. Thus the relative classes are $\mathbb{Z}/m\mathbb{Z}$, represented by powers of a uniformizer. Allowing all $m$ realizes all invariants. At the infinite local fields, $\mathrm{Br}(\mathbb{C})=0$, while $\mathrm{Br}(\mathbb{R})\cong \mathbb{Z}/2\mathbb{Z}$, with the nonzero class represented by Hamilton's quaternions and invariant $1/2$.

For a number field, the Albert-Brauer-Hasse-Noether theorem supplies the exact sequenceHence a global algebra is determined by its finitely many nonzero local invariants, whose sum is zero; it is split precisely when all its local classes vanish. Every division algebra over a number field is cyclic, so cyclic algebras provide representatives for the global classes as well. Their norm parameters translate splitting into local norm conditions and the reciprocity constraint on the sum of invariants. The local invariant theorem, Wedderburn's little theorem and the global invariant theorem are the standard structural results used here; their role in the requested computation is explicit.

Every Brauer class has a central division algebra representative $D$, and every central simple algebra is a matrix algebra over such a $D$. Put $d=\mathrm{deg}D$; its reduced norm is a homogeneous degree-$d$ polynomial on the $d^2$-dimensional vector space $D$.

If $d>1$, then $d^2>d$, so the $C_1$ property supplies a nonzero $x\in D$ with $\mathrm{Nrd}(x)=0$. But every nonzero element of a division algebra is invertible, and its reduced norm cannot be zero. Thus $d=1$, and a central division algebra of degree one is $K$ itself. Every central simple algebra over $K$ is therefore a matrix algebra over $K$, givingThis proves the trivial Brauer group of a C1 field. The essential ingredient is the anisotropy of a division algebra's reduced norm, not the norm polynomial of an arbitrary matrix algebra, which certainly can vanish on nonzero singular matrices.

For a complete discretely valued field with perfect residue field $k$, the Witt residue sequence is the split exact sequenceThe first map identifies the unramified Brauer classes. The residue map is canonical; a splitting is chosen by a uniformizer $\pi$ and sends an unramified character $\chi$ to the cyclic Brauer class $(\chi ,\pi )$. Changing $\pi$ may change this splitting by an unramified class. This is the version of Witt's theorem used here.

Now suppose $k={\mathbb{F}}_q$. Fix arithmetic Frobenius $F_k:a\mapsto a^q$. Define the local Brauer invariant byHere is an explicit cohomological construction. Set $E=K^{\mathrm{nr}}$ and $G=\mathrm{Gal}(E/K)\cong \hat{\mathbb{Z}}$. The permitted vanishing $\mathrm{Br}(E)=0$, together with Hilbert 90 and inflation, identifies $\mathrm{Br}(K)$ with $H^2(G,E^{\times })$. Normalize the valuation $v(\pi )=1$. Its induced map sends a multiplicative two-cocycle $c$ to the integer-valued two-cocycle $v(c)$, givingThe middle isomorphism is the connecting map for $0\to \mathbb{Z}\to \mathbb{Q}\to \mathbb{Q}/\mathbb{Z}\to 0$, since positive-degree continuous cohomology of the trivial module $\mathbb{Q}$ vanishes.

To see that the valuation map is an isomorphism, its module sequence splits using $\pi$, and the unit part has zero second cohomology. For each finite unramified cyclic extension $E_m/K$, cyclic cohomology identifies that unit contribution with ${\mathcal{O}}_K^{\times }/N_{E_m/K}{\mathcal{O}}_{E_m}^{\times }$. The norm on residue-field units is surjective. On the principal-unit quotient of level $r\ge 1$, the norm is the residue trace, through $N(1+{\pi }^{r}b)\equiv 1+{\pi }^r\mathrm{Tr}(\overline{b})(\mathrm{mod}{\pi }^{r+1})$. The trace of a finite separable field extension is surjective; successive corrections and completeness therefore make the norm surjective on all units. Passing to the direct limit gives the asserted vanishing. Finally, a continuous character of $\hat{\mathbb{Z}}$ is uniquely specified by its value on arithmetic Frobenius, and that value can be any element of $\mathbb{Q}/\mathbb{Z}$. The invariant map is an isomorphism.

In concrete terms, if $E_m/K$ is the unramified extension of degree $m$ and $\sigma$ lifts arithmetic Frobenius, the cyclic algebra with $ub=\sigma (b)u$ and $u^m=a$ hasIndeed its standard two-cocycle has value $a$ when the powers of $\sigma$ wrap past $m$ and value one otherwise. Valuation turns this into the connecting cocycle for the character with Frobenius value $v_K(a)/m$. This also fixes the sign of the normalization.

For restriction and corestriction of local Brauer invariants, let $l$ be the residue field of $L$, $e$ the ramification index and $f=[l:k]$. A finite extension of local fields has $[L:K]=ef$, $v_L{|}_K=e{v}_K$ and $v_K(N_{L/K}b)=f{v}_L(b)$. Every class of $\mathrm{Br}(K)$ is $(\chi ,{\pi }_K)$, with $\chi$ unramified. After restriction to $L$, its character has Frobenius value $f\chi (F_k)$ and its parameter has valuation $e$. ThusFor corestriction, write a class of $\mathrm{Br}(L)$ as $({\chi }_l,{\pi }_L)$. Choose a character ${\chi }_k$ of the finite-field absolute group such that ${\mathrm{Res}}_{l/k}{\chi }_k={\chi }_l$. This is possible because restriction is multiplication by $f$ on $\mathbb{Q}/\mathbb{Z}$, which is divisible. Inflate both characters to the local fields. The norm projection formula for cyclic Brauer pairings givesThis projection identity follows from the cohomological transfer and cup-product identity; on multiplicative degree-zero coefficients transfer is the field norm, and the identity in higher degree follows by the cochain definition or dimension shifting. The norm parameter has $K$-valuation $f$, so its invariant is $f{\chi }_k(F_k)={\chi }_l(F_l)$. ThereforeThis argument uses the character-and-norm description directly and does not cancel multiplication by $[L:K]$ in $\mathbb{Q}/\mathbb{Z}$, where such cancellation would be invalid. For purely inseparable steps in equal characteristic, absolute Galois groups identify, restriction uses inclusion of multiplicative coefficient modules, and Brauer corestriction uses the field norm on them. The same projection calculation applies. Factoring a general finite extension into separable and purely inseparable steps covers all finite extensions in the question.

Lastly, a class with invariant $a/b$ in lowest terms has Brauer period $b$. The unramified extension of degree $b$ splits it, so its division-algebra degree divides $b$. Conversely a maximal subfield of the division algebra splits it and has degree equal to that division-algebra degree; the restriction formula forces $b$ to divide that degree. These standard splitting-field properties are among the permitted inputs. Thus the index of a central simple algebra equals its period over a local field. The central division algebras of degree $n$ are exactly those with invariants $a/n$ and $\gcd (a,n)=1$. The Brauer class determines its division representative uniquely, so there areisomorphism classes, where $\phi$ is the Euler totient function. This includes the single degree-one algebra $K$.

The reduced norm of an element of a central simple algebra of degree $d$ is its determinant after any splitting isomorphism to $M_d$. Inner automorphisms of a matrix algebra preserve that determinant, while Galois invariance descends its polynomial coefficients to the center. It is a multiplicative homogeneous degree-$d$ polynomial, vanishing exactly on noninvertible elements. On a central division algebra it is anisotropic.

For a central division algebra $D$ of degree $d$ over a C2 field, the form $\mathrm{Nrd}(X)-a{T}^d$ has degree $d$ in $d^2+1$ variables. Its nontrivial zero must have $T\ne 0$, because the reduced norm of a division algebra is anisotropic. Dividing $X$ by $T$ gives norm $a$. Zero is the norm of zero.

A central division algebra of degree $d>1$ has an anisotropic reduced norm of degree $d$ in $d^2>d$ variables. That contradicts the C1 field property. Thus only degree one is possible, and every central simple algebra is split.