Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 iii Paper 151 3 Solution 2026-09-28
The Artin–Wedderburn theorem says that every central simple algebra over has the form for a finite-dimensional central division algebra , uniquely up to the evident data. If and are central simple, extend scalars to an algebraic closure . Both become full matrix algebras, hencefor suitable . Any nonzero proper ideal of would extend to one in this simple matrix algebra, and faithful flatness prevents it from vanishing or becoming the whole algebra. The same scalar-extension argument shows that the center is . This proves the tensor product of central simple algebras theorem.
The Brauer group consists of Morita equivalence classes of central simple -algebras. Its product is , its identity is , and because is a full matrix algebra.
Let be a Finite Galois extension with Galois group , and let be a normalized two-cocycle. The crossed-product algebra of a Galois extension has underlying left -vector spaceand multiplicationThe cocycle identity is exactly associativity. After scalar extension to , the algebra acts by the twisted regular representation and becomes ; Galois descent shows that it is central simple over . If is multiplied by the coboundary of a one-cochain , rescaling by gives an isomorphic algebra. Hence the cohomological construction of a Brauer class gives a well-defined map
It remains to show that every Brauer class is torsion. For a finite group , restriction and corestriction on normalized bar cochains satisfyon cohomology: the first equality follows by summing the translated cochain over coset representatives, and each is the identity because an inner automorphism is cochain-homotopic to the identity. Restriction to the trivial subgroup is zero in positive degree, so this proves that finite-group cohomology is annihilated by the group order. In multiplicative notation, every therefore satisfies .
By the permitted assumption, is the image of such an for some . Consequently in . By the definition of Brauer equivalence, this says that for some ,as required.