Albert-Brauer-Hasse-Noether theorem 2026-10-14
For a number field , localization of the Brauer group is injective. Its image is exactly the finite-support tuples of local classes whose local Brauer invariants sum to zero. The non-Archimedean summands have invariant group , real summands have , and complex summands are zero. For a cyclic character and parameter , the invariant of the local cyclic algebra is . Thus the zero-sum condition on principal parameters is the additive form of Artin reciprocity.
Brauer class 2026-10-14
The Brauer class of a central simple algebra is its equivalence class under adjoining matrix-algebra factors. Two algebras have the same class exactly when their central division-algebra representatives are isomorphic. The zero class consists of split matrix algebras; the inverse of is the class of the opposite algebra. For a cyclic algebra , the class is zero exactly when is a field norm from .
Cyclic algebra 2026-10-07
For a cyclic extension of degree with generator and , the cyclic algebra is generated by and with , . It is a central simple algebra of degree . Its Brauer class can also be written , where .
Local Brauer invariant 2026-10-07
For a local field with finite residue field, evaluate the Witt residue character on arithmetic Frobenius. This gives . For the unramified degree- cyclic algebra with arithmetic Frobenius generator and parameter , the invariant is . Its reduced denominator is the index of the division representative.
Local fundamental class 2026-10-14
For a finite Galois extension of non-Archimedean local fields, its relative Brauer group is the kernel of restriction and identifies with . Restriction multiplies the local Brauer invariant by . This kernel is therefore cyclic of order , and the indicated class is its distinguished generator. In an unramified extension with arithmetic Frobenius generator it is represented by the cyclic algebra with parameter a uniformizer.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2003 iii Paper 23 3 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
We give the full local-field norm-index argument. Let be cyclic of order . On an additive -module set and . The two cyclic Tate cohomology groups areWhen these are finite, the Herbrand quotient is . The periodic complex alternating and yields a six-term periodic exact sequence from a short exact sequence of modules. Taking alternating products of orders in that exact sequence provesFor a finite module, and show that the two Tate cohomology groups have equal order. Thus the Herbrand quotient of a finite module is one. For the trivial integral module , the two groups are and zero, giving .
We also need cyclic cohomology of a regular lattice. In , fixed coefficient vectors are constant, and every such vector is a norm of a basis vector times its coefficient. The kernel of consists of vectors whose coefficient sum is zero. For such a vector , solve successively around the cycle; the final equation holds precisely because . Thus . Both Tate cohomology groups vanish, so , for or , and likewise for finite direct sums.
Now take a cyclic extension of p-adic fields of degree . Write . For , the convergent p-adic logarithm and p-adic exponential give mutually inverse -equivariant group isomorphismswhere the right side is additive. The convergence assertion follows from the estimates and ; formal inverse identities therefore hold on this ball.
By the normal basis theorem, choose so that is a -basis of . The lattice is a regular -module. It is a finite direct sum of regular -modules, hence its Tate cohomology vanishes. The lattices and are commensurable: their intersection has finite index in both. The exact sequences with these finite quotients establish finiteness of the Tate cohomology groups and show . Thus . Since is finite, as well.
The -equivariant valuation exact sequence isIts last term has trivial -action. The multiplication rule gives the Herbrand quotient of the local multiplicative group:All the Tate cohomology groups here are finite by the lattice argument and the exact sequence; finiteness of the norm index has not been assumed.
For completeness we prove the needed Hilbert theorem 90. If has field norm one, put and . The linear map is not zero by linear independence of distinct field embeddings. Choose with . The relation gives , so . This proves . The zeroth Tate cohomology group is . Consequently the cyclic local norm index isWriting , the valuation of a field norm is . The valuation quotient has order , and a norm with valuation zero comes from a unit. ThereforeIn particular every unit is a norm in an unramified extension. These results give the norm assertions used in the quadratic Hilbert symbol computation.
We finish with the Hasse norm theorem: for a cyclic extension of number fields, an element is a global norm if and only if it is a norm at every place. More precisely the local norm is the norm from the product ; in a Galois extension its factors have the same norm subgroup. The forward implication is immediate. For the converse associate to the cyclic algebra . The splitting criterion for a cyclic algebra, proved below, identifies its splitting with . At a place where the tensor product of fields has several factors, this algebra is a matrix algebra over the cyclic algebra of one decomposition-field factor, with the generator restricted to its cyclic decomposition subgroup. Thus the local norm assumption makes its Brauer class zero at every place. Injectivity in the Albert-Brauer-Hasse-Noether theorem makes the global Brauer class zero, giving the desired global norm. This is the required proof outline; cyclicity is essential to this reduction.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2003 iii Paper 23 4 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
A central simple algebra over is a finite-dimensional associative -algebra with no nonzero proper two-sided ideals and with center . The Artin–Wedderburn theorem writes it uniquely as with a central division algebra. After a finite separable splitting field extension it becomes , so its dimension is , and is its degree of a central simple algebra. Passing from to a matrix algebra over does not change its Brauer class.
The Brauer group consists of these classes, with product induced by tensor product. Extending to a common splitting field shows that a tensor product of central simple algebras is again central simple; its two-sided ideals and center descend from the corresponding full matrix algebra. The neutral class is , and the inverse of is , becauseThe displayed map becomes the standard isomorphism for matrices over a splitting field, so it is already an isomorphism over . Thus Brauer classes measure precisely the obstruction to being a split matrix algebra.
An explicit family is supplied by cyclic algebras. Let be cyclic of degree , with generator , and let . DefineThis is an associative algebra: form the skew polynomial ring with relation and quotient by the central relation . Reduction of powers gives the displayed -dimensional -basis. An element commuting with every has no coefficient for , since is not the identity. Commuting also with forces the remaining coefficient into . Hence the center is .
Here is an explicit splitting construction. On , with basis , putThen and . After extending scalars to , the separable decomposition supplies all diagonal matrices, and their products with powers of supply all matrix units. ThereforeAny nonzero proper two-sided ideal of would extend to one of , which is impossible. Thus this construction really gives a central simple algebra, with splitting field .
Its central arithmetic feature is the splitting criterion for a cyclic algebra:If , let act by multiplication on the -vector space , and let act as . Its nth power is multiplication by , so this gives a representation . It is injective by simplicity and an isomorphism by equal dimension. Conversely, if with , its embedded field makes one-dimensional over . The relation for says that is -semilinear. In an -basis it must have the form , whose nth power is . The relation forces .
More generally the crossed-product algebra of a Galois extension attaches an algebra to a multiplicative two-cocycle. Changing the cocycle by a coboundary rescales its basis and preserves the Brauer class. Descent of a split matrix algebra identifiesFor cyclic , cyclic Tate cohomology identifies this second cohomology group with . In a crossed product, rescale successive cyclic basis elements to powers of a single ; the remaining datum is , changed by a field norm when is rescaled. This explains why cyclic algebras give every class split by a cyclic extension, and why multiplication of their parameters is addition of their Brauer classes.
For a finite field , every finite splitting field is cyclic over . The field norm is the power map on its cyclic multiplicative group, and is onto . Thus every relative Brauer class is zero, and every central simple algebra has zero class:
For a non-Archimedean local field , the valuation classification of central division algebras shows that every Brauer class splits over a finite unramified extension. For the degree- unramified extension with arithmetic Frobenius , units are norms and norm valuations are multiples of . Hence the cyclic relative Brauer group is , represented by . The compatible local Brauer invariant isThe union over all givesA class with invariant in lowest terms has a central division algebra representative of degree of a central simple algebra . This is the local valuation classification used above; the explicit cyclic algebras exhibit all of its invariants. At the Archimedean places, , while : its nontrivial class is the quaternion algebra , since complex norms are positive.
For a number field, the Albert-Brauer-Hasse-Noether theorem describes the Brauer group by the exact sequenceThus its classes are exactly finite-support families of local invariants with sum zero; real invariants are or and complex invariants are zero. Every global Brauer class has a cyclic splitting extension, so cyclic algebras also realize all global classes. If , their local invariants are , with restricted to the local decomposition subgroup. The sum-zero relation for a principal parameter is the invariant form of Artin reciprocity. Injectivity supplies the local-to-global splitting test, which yields the Hasse norm theorem for cyclic extensions as explained in the preceding solution. Here the local valuation classification and the global invariant theorem are the structural theorems used to describe the Brauer groups; the construction and norm-splitting calculation have been proved explicitly.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2004 iii Paper 25 4 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
A central simple algebra over is a finite-dimensional associative unital -algebra with no nonzero proper two-sided ideals and center exactly . Its dimension is a square, . The Artin–Wedderburn theorem writes it as for a uniquely determined central division algebra 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 , and the inverse of is . 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 of degree , a generator and . SetThe multiplication is obtained by moving coefficients past and replacing every by . It is associative: reducing a product of three monomials gives the same total exponent, the same power of and the same iterated automorphisms in either order. The scalar is fixed by and , so reduction is consistent.
An element commuting with every has only its coefficient nonzero, because for . Commuting with then forces that coefficient into , proving that the center is . To prove simplicity, choose a nonzero element of a nonzero ideal with the fewest nonzero monomial coefficients. Since is invertible and each nonzero coefficient in 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 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 . Thus is central simple of dimension .
It splits over . For example, over represent by the diagonal matrix with entries , and let shift the standard basis down one place, sending the first vector to times the last. These matrices satisfy the defining relations. A primitive element of the separable extension has distinct conjugates; the Vandermonde matrix of their powers is invertible. Thus the diagonal images span all diagonal matrices after scalar extension to . Multiplying the diagonal matrix units by powers of the shift gives every matrix unit, proving .
The particularly useful splitting criterion isIf , let the algebra act on by multiplication for and by the semilinear operator for . Its th power is multiplication by , so this gives an isomorphism with , by simplicity and dimension. Conversely, a split algebra acts on an -dimensional -space . Restriction to the subfield makes one-dimensional over , and is a nonzero -semilinear operator. In an -basis it is , so forces . More generally the relative Brauer group split by a cyclic is , 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 . 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 , with arithmetic Frobenius generator, gives invariant to its cyclic algebra. Question 2 shows that all units are norms; norm valuations are multiples of . Thus the relative classes are , represented by powers of a uniformizer. Allowing all realizes all invariants. At the infinite local fields, , while , with the nonzero class represented by Hamilton's quaternions and invariant .
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.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 iii Paper 31 2 ii Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
For , the quadratic Hilbert symbol is one if is a field norm from , and minus one otherwise; a square gives the trivial extension and symbol one. It depends only on the two square classes. Equivalently, the conic has a nonzero rational point precisely when the symbol is one. Interchanging and in the conic gives . The Hilbert norm residue symbol is a group homomorphism in each argument; for nonsquare , the cyclic local norm index makes its group kernel a subgroup of index two. The resulting pairing on square classes is nondegenerate. Alsosince . In the language of local class field theory, ; in the Brauer group, it records whether the quaternion cyclic algebra splits. These are compatible norm-obstruction descriptions.
An unramified extension of local fields of degree two has norm group consisting precisely of elements with even valuation. Indeed,and the norms on units are surjective. For the latter assertion, the norm on the finite residue fields is surjective. On successive higher principal-unit groups, the congruenceallows one to correct a proposed unit norm one digit at a time: the residue field trace is surjective, and completeness makes the corrections converge. An unramified quadratic field is unique up to isomorphism. Therefore, if is its defining nonsquare class,
For odd , choose the nonsquare unit from part (i). The polynomial has irreducible separable reduction, so it defines the unramified quadratic extension. ThusThe trivial class is included in , since a degree-one extension is unramified. The two units pair trivially, while . Any class outside has odd valuation and consequently pairs nontrivially with . This proves directly
For , the unit square classes from part (i) give . The element satisfies ; its reduction is irreducible and separable over . This shows that is unramified of degree two, givingFor a fully explicit pairing check, use the generators . We have and , since and from . But : a norm equal to would be a sum of two squares. If either summand had negative valuation, the sum would have negative valuation (equal negative valuations give valuation ); if both were integral, their squares could not sum to . Finally, the unramified norm criterion gives . The identity and determine the remaining entries. Writing , the exponent matrix isFor , annihilating both generators of requires , so . Annihilating alone requires , so is a unit class. HenceThese are the Hilbert-symbol annihilators of units and unramified square classes. Annihilators here are taken with respect to this pairing, or equivalently in the character group of a finite abelian group after identifying square classes with their Hilbert-symbol characters.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 iii Paper 31 3 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
We give the detailed norm-index argument for a cyclic extension of p-adic fields; thus is a finite extension of . Write , . For an additive -module , put and . The two periodic Tate cohomology of a cyclic group groups and the Herbrand quotient arewhen these groups are finite. For multiplicative modules, is the product of conjugates and .
The periodic complex alternating and gives a six-term exact sequence for every short exact sequence of modules. Taking the alternating product of the finite group orders in that exact sequence provesFor a finite module, the counting fibers gives and , so the two Tate groups have equal order. This proves the Herbrand quotient of a finite module is one. It follows that replacing a module by a finite-index submodule does not change its quotient, whenever the cohomology groups are finite.
Two basic calculations drive the norm computation. For the trivial module , and is multiplication by , so . For a regular lattice , with , invariants are constant coefficient vectors and every such vector is a norm: put its constant coefficient in just one coordinate before applying . The group kernel of consists of the coefficient vectors of sum zero. Successively taking partial sums solves the cyclic difference equation for every such vector . Thus both Tate groups vanish and . This is cyclic cohomology of a regular lattice.
Let and . For sufficiently large , the p-adic logarithm and p-adic exponential are inverse -equivariant isomorphismsTo make the range explicit, suffices: the higher terms in the logarithm and exponential have greater valuation than their leading terms, their series converge there, and the identities and remain valid. Thus a deep multiplicative unit group becomes an additive -lattice in .
By the normal basis theorem, as a -module. As a -module it is therefore . Transport the regular lattice into . Both and are full -stable -lattices, so their intersection has finite index in each. The exact sequences with finite quotients show that the Tate groups of are finite and thatSince is finite, the exact-sequence formula for the Herbrand quotient gives . Finally, the valuation sequencehas trivial -action on . Hence the Herbrand quotient of the local multiplicative group is
For completeness, the denominator vanishes by Hilbert theorem 90. If , put and . Independence of distinct field automorphisms lets us choose with . Since , shifting the sum gives . Thus , a multiplicative coboundary. Therefore . The invariant subgroup of is , soThis proves the cyclic local norm index without assuming local reciprocity. If the extension has ramification index and residue degree , the valuation formula shows that the valuation contribution to the index is . A norm is a unit only when is a unit, so the remaining contribution isIn particular, unit norms are surjective in an unramified cyclic extension. The norm subgroup is open: on deep units its logarithm is , a nonzero full lattice in , and therefore contains a sufficiently deep principal-unit group. This connects the index calculation to the open finite-index norm subgroups classified by local class field theory.
To finish, the Hasse norm theorem for a cyclic extension of number fields states that a nonzero element is a global norm if and only if it is a norm at every finite and infinite completion. Here is its Brauer-theoretic proof outline. Associate to the cyclic algebra , with relations and . The splitting criterion for a cyclic algebra says that it splits exactly when : if , multiplication by and the operator realize it as ; conversely, in a split matrix representation, the underlying -dimensional space is one-dimensional over , so must act as and .
Apply this criterion at every completion, using the restricted cyclic character and any one completion of above that place. If is a local norm everywhere, every localized Brauer class is zero. Injectivity in the Albert-Brauer-Hasse-Noether theorem forces in ; the global splitting criterion gives . Conversely, a global norm is a local norm after completion, since the norm on is the product of the component norms, whose images coincide in the Galois case. The cyclic hypothesis is essential; the stated local-global principle does not hold for arbitrary extensions.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 iii Paper 31 4 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
The Brauer group of a field consists of equivalence classes of central simple algebras, with addition induced by tensor product, zero represented by matrix algebras, and inverse represented by the opposite algebra. Localization sends a global algebra to its scalar extensions at the completions. For a non-Archimedean completion of a number field, the local Brauer invariant is an isomorphismNormalize it so that an unramified cyclic algebra of degree , with arithmetic Frobenius generator and parameter , has invariant . For a real completion, with the Hamilton quaternion algebra mapped to ; for a complex completion the Brauer group is zero.
The global computation is the exact sequence in the Albert-Brauer-Hasse-Noether theorem:Thus a global Brauer class is determined uniquely by a finite-support family of local invariants. Such a family occurs if and only if its sum is zero; at real places the only allowed entries are , and at complex places the entry is zero. Injectivity is a local-global splitting principle; the middle exactness is the reciprocity constraint; surjectivity of the sum follows already from any one finite local summand. These are separate assertions, not merely different descriptions of the sum formula.
For an explicit group description, choose one finite place . Assign arbitrary finite-support invariants at all other finite places and arbitrary allowed invariants at the real places, then set the invariant at equal to minus their sum. This givesThe description by the entire invariant family is canonical; this displayed elimination of one coordinate depends on the choice of .
The connection with Artin reciprocity is especially transparent for cyclic algebras. Let describe a cyclic extension, with . Write for the class of . The local reciprocity pairing isIt follows from the local fundamental class construction of the Local Artin map; on an unramified character it is precisely the normalization . The group kernel in the parameter is the local norm group, and restriction/corestriction give the norm compatibility of this pairing.
For a principal parameter , the zero-sum identity for its global cyclic algebra therefore readsOn the other hand the idelic Artin reciprocity law isand evaluating this product by gives exactly that zero-sum identity. Conversely, testing every cyclic character of a finite abelian Galois group separates its elements, so the zero-sum identities for cyclic algebras imply this principal-idele reciprocity law for every finite abelian extension. At almost all places a unit and an unramified character pair trivially, so the sums and products are finite.
The full idelic statement identifies the group kernel as and induces . It explains why the local norm-residue pairings must glue globally. The global Brauer theorem supplies, in addition, the injectivity and realization statements needed to compute all algebra classes; the principal-product identity alone would not prove those statements. For cyclic algebras its injectivity yields the Hasse norm theorem, as in Question 3. In degree two, an invariant is either zero or , so the zero-sum law becomes the Hilbert reciprocity law . For example, a quaternion algebra over can be ramified at precisely a prescribed finite set of places, including possibly the real place, if and only if that set has even cardinality; the invariants uniquely determine its Brauer class. This illustrates how arithmetic reciprocity becomes a concrete constraint on global algebra structure.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 iii Paper 28 5 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Fix a non-Archimedean local field , write , and use the arithmetic Frobenius normalization throughout: a uniformizer maps to the automorphism inducing on the maximal unramified extension. The Local Artin map, or local reciprocity map, is the canonical continuous group homomorphismwhere is the maximal abelian extension inside a fixed algebraic closure with its separable part understood. Its finite projection to every finite abelian extension is onto and has kernel exactly the norm subgroup of a local field extension:In particular, the quotient has order . This is how local class field theory turns abelian extension problems into computations inside a multiplicative group.
One precise definition of the finite reciprocity map uses the cup-product construction of local reciprocity. For a finite Galois extension with group , the local fundamental class is specified by local Brauer invariant . Cup product gives an isomorphismThe finite Local Artin map is its inverse, composed with the quotient map from . For abelian the target is itself. Taking the compatible inverse limit over finite abelian extensions defines .
The essential inputs to this cohomological construction have concrete arithmetic content. The local Brauer invariant identifies with ; restriction to multiplies the invariant by , so its kernel is cyclic of that order and has the distinguished generator . For every subgroup , Hilbert theorem 90 gives , while the same invariant calculation over the fixed field gives cyclic of order . These are the hypotheses of the algebraic cup-product isomorphism in Tate cohomology of a finite group. It is obtained by dimension shifting in group cohomology with a projective resolution of the trivial module and the extension representing the fundamental class. Thus the norm-kernel statement comes from the degree-zero definition of Tate cohomology of a finite group, rather than from an arbitrary assignment of an automorphism to each element. In an unramified extension of degree , the fundamental class is the cyclic algebra with arithmetic Frobenius generator and parameter a uniformizer; the isomorphism sends that Frobenius to the class of the uniformizer. This explains the chosen sign of reciprocity.
Several properties follow immediately from this construction. If are finite abelian extensions, restricting to gives . The Local Artin map is therefore compatible with the finite projections defining its infinite target. For any finite separable extension and , its norm compatibility isHere is abelian, so the displayed restriction makes sense. An outline of the compatibility proof is to use the corestriction map in group cohomology: on multiplicative coefficients its degree-zero map is the norm. The cup-product projection formula, together with restriction and corestriction of the local fundamental class, gives exactly the commuting reciprocity diagram. The compatibility is an arithmetic instance of the functoriality of the cohomological definition.
The Local Artin map has dense image, because every finite abelian quotient receives a surjective map. Its kernel is trivial, and it extends to an isomorphismwhere this profinite completion uses the open finite-index subgroups of the topological multiplicative group. The original map is generally not onto: on the unramified quotient it sends the integer valuation into , rather than producing every profinite integer. Its units map onto the abelian inertia group. For a finite abelian extension, the corresponding unit image is its inertia group, while the valuation accounts for its residue extension. Indeed , so the valuation quotient has order ; the full norm quotient has order , leaving unit image of order . Since unit images act trivially on the residue field, they give precisely the inertia group. More finely, the image of the higher principal-unit group in a finite abelian extension is its rth upper ramification group, for each integer . The use of upper ramification numbering is essential for compatibility with quotients.
The existence theorem of local class field theory states that every open finite-index subgroup is for a unique finite abelian extension . Inclusions are reversed: larger extensions have smaller norm subgroups. In the established reciprocity isomorphism, the proof is simply to take the fixed field of the open subgroup corresponding to . Conversely a finite extension gives an open kernel of a finite continuous projection. Uniqueness follows because that kernel specifies its fixed field. The substantive existence problem is therefore to prove that the reciprocity isomorphism realizes all open finite-index subgroups; it is not just this final fixed-field argument.
The Lubin–Tate description of local reciprocity provides an explicit route to that existence problem. Choose a uniformizer and a Lubin–Tate series , with its associated Lubin–Tate formal group . Solving successively by total degree constructs the law with linear part ; the analogous equations construct the endomorphisms with linear coefficient . The congruence supplies the divisibility needed at each step. These endomorphisms satisfy and make the torsion an -module.
If denotes the rfold iterate, the primitive level-r Lubin–Tate torsion points are roots ofReduction modulo is , and the constant term is , so this is an Eisenstein polynomial. Its roots therefore generate a totally ramified extension of degree . A primitive point generates the entire torsion module, and all points are its images under the integral convergent endomorphisms . The torsion field is therefore a Galois extension of . The action map into is injective, and the computed degree equals the order of this unit group, proving it is an isomorphism. Passing to the inverse limit gives for the Lubin–Tate tower .
The unramified tower and are linearly disjoint field extensions: a finite common subextension would be both unramified and totally ramified, hence trivial. The Lubin–Tate description of local reciprocity on their compositum isThe inverse on the unit action goes with the arithmetic Frobenius convention; changing to geometric Frobenius inverts the whole reciprocity map. The reciprocity theorem identifies this explicit action with the finite cup-product maps, independently of the chosen uniformizer. Its proof compares the fundamental class with the norm relations between consecutive torsion fields. The construction makes the possible finite kernels concrete: on the compositum of the degree-d unramified field with the kernel isThese subgroups are cofinal among open finite-index subgroups. Indeed any such contains for sufficiently large , and contains for some positive , since the class of in has finite order. Taking the appropriate fixed subgroup in this explicit finite compositum realizes . This proves the open-subgroup part of existence once the norm compatibility of the explicit and cohomological constructions is established. Together with the finite reciprocity maps it also shows that .
As a direct check, on a finite unramified extension the construction reduces toThe earlier elementary unit-norm proof shows its kernel is exactly . At , the Lubin–Tate cyclotomic example takes and . Its torsion is , so a unit acts by . These examples exhibit both the valuation and unit parts of local reciprocity with consistent signs.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2012 iii Paper 21 2 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-07
For a complete discretely valued field with perfect residue field , 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 and sends an unramified character to the cyclic Brauer class . Changing may change this splitting by an unramified class. This is the version of Witt's theorem used here.
Now suppose . Fix arithmetic Frobenius . Define the local Brauer invariant byHere is an explicit cohomological construction. Set and . The permitted vanishing , together with Hilbert 90 and inflation, identifies with . Normalize the valuation . Its induced map sends a multiplicative two-cocycle to the integer-valued two-cocycle , givingThe middle isomorphism is the connecting map for , since positive-degree continuous cohomology of the trivial module vanishes.
To see that the valuation map is an isomorphism, its module sequence splits using , and the unit part has zero second cohomology. For each finite unramified cyclic extension , cyclic cohomology identifies that unit contribution with . The norm on residue-field units is surjective. On the principal-unit quotient of level , the norm is the residue trace, through . 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 is uniquely specified by its value on arithmetic Frobenius, and that value can be any element of . The invariant map is an isomorphism.
In concrete terms, if is the unramified extension of degree and lifts arithmetic Frobenius, the cyclic algebra with and hasIndeed its standard two-cocycle has value when the powers of wrap past and value one otherwise. Valuation turns this into the connecting cocycle for the character with Frobenius value . This also fixes the sign of the normalization.
For restriction and corestriction of local Brauer invariants, let be the residue field of , the ramification index and . A finite extension of local fields has , and . Every class of is , with unramified. After restriction to , its character has Frobenius value and its parameter has valuation . ThusFor corestriction, write a class of as . Choose a character of the finite-field absolute group such that . This is possible because restriction is multiplication by on , 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 -valuation , so its invariant is . ThereforeThis argument uses the character-and-norm description directly and does not cancel multiplication by in , 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 in lowest terms has Brauer period . The unramified extension of degree splits it, so its division-algebra degree divides . Conversely a maximal subfield of the division algebra splits it and has degree equal to that division-algebra degree; the restriction formula forces 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 are exactly those with invariants and . The Brauer class determines its division representative uniquely, so there areisomorphism classes, where is the Euler totient function. This includes the single degree-one algebra .
Splitting criterion for a cyclic algebra 2026-10-14
If , let act on itself by multiplication and let the extra generator act by . Its th power is multiplication by , and these operators give the cyclic algebra as . Conversely, if the algebra is a matrix algebra on an -dimensional vector space, its embedded degree- field makes that space one-dimensional over . The extra generator is then in an -basis, so its th power forces .