Essential dimension of finite groups in prime characteristic

Let F be a field of characteristic $p>0$ and G be a smooth finite algebraic group over F. We compute the essential dimension ${\mathrm{ed}}_F(G;p)$ of G at p. That is, we show that

${\mathrm{ed}}_F(G;p)=\{\begin{array}{cc}1,\hfill & \text{if}p\text{divides}|G|,\text{and}\hfill \\ 0,\hfill & \text{otherwise.}\hfill \end{array}$

     

On the notion of essential dimension for algebraic groups

We introduce and study the notion of essential dimension for linear algebraic groups defined over an algebraically closed fields of characteristic zero. The essential dimension is a numerical invariant of the group; it is often equal to the minimal number of independent parameters required to describe all algebraic objects of a certain type. For example, if our groupG isS _n , these objects are field extensions; ifG=O _n , they are quadratic forms; ifG=PGL _n , they are division algebras (all of degreen); ifG=G ₂, they are octonion algebras; ifG=F ₄, they are exceptional Jordan algebras. We develop a general theory, then compute or estimate the essential dimension for a number of specific groups, including all of the above-mentioned examples. In the last section we give an exposition of results, communicated to us by J.-P. Serre, relating essential dimension to Galois cohomology.Partially supported by NSA grant MDA904-9610022 and NSF grant DMS-9801675     

On the notion of canonical dimension for algebraic groups

We define and study a numerical invariant of an algebraic group action which we call the canonical dimension. We then apply the resulting theory to the problem of computing the minimal number of parameters required to define a generic hypersurface of degree d in P^n-1.     

Computing invariants of algebraic groups in arbitrary characteristic

Let G be an affine algebraic group acting on an affine variety X. We present an algorithm for computing generators of the invariant ring KG[X] in the case where G is reductive. Furthermore, we address the case where G is connected and unipotent, so the invariant ring need not be finitely generated. For this case, we develop an algorithm which computes KG[X] in terms of a so-called colon-operation. From this, generators of KG[X] can be obtained in finite time if it is finitely generated. Under the additional hypothesis that K[X] is factorial, we present an algorithm that finds a quasi-affine variety whose coordinate ring is KG[X]. Along the way, we develop some techniques for dealing with nonfinitely generated algebras. In particular, we introduce the finite generation ideal.     

Contractions of the actions of reductive algebraic groups in arbitrary characteristic

Oblatum 25-X-1990 & 4-V-1991     

Essential dimension and the second serre conjecture for exceptional groups

We study the essential dimension of exceptional connected simply connected algebraic groups over algebraically closed fields. In the present paper, we find upper estimates for the essential dimensions of the groupsF ₄ ,E ₆ , andE ₇ . For the groupF ₄ , the upper estimate, thus obtained coincides with the known lower estimate. We also prove the second Serre conjecture for the groupE ₆ and for a function field. Translated fromMatematicheskie Zametki, Vol. 68, No. 4, pp. 539–547, October, 2000.     

On abstract representations of the groups of rational points of algebraic groups in positive characteristic

We analyze the structure of a large class of connected algebraic rings over an algebraically closed field of positive characteristic using Greenberg’s perfectization functor. We then give applications to rigidity problems for representations of Chevalley groups.     

Irreducible characters for algebraic groups in characteristic two (iii)

In this note, we determine the irreducible characters for the special linear group SL(6,K) and S L(7,K) over an algebraically closed field K of characteristic 2, by using the theorem of Xi Nanhua [7] and the MATLAB software.     

Anti-affine algebraic groups

We say that an algebraic group G over a field is anti-affine if every regular function on G is constant. We obtain a classification of these groups, with applications to the structure of algebraic groups in positive characteristics, and to the construction of many counterexamples to Hilbert's fourteenth problem.     

Cohomological dimension of certain algebraic varieties

Let be an ideal of a commutative Noetherian ring . For finitely generated -modules and with , it is shown that . Let be a finitely generated module over a local ring such that . Using the above result and the notion of connectedness dimension, it is proved that Here denotes the connectedness dimension of the topological space . Finally, as a consequence of this inequality, two previously known generalizations of Faltings' connectedness theorem are improved.

     

Essential dimension of quadrics

Let X be an anisotropic projective quadric over a field F of characteristic not 2. The essential dimension dim_es(X) of X, as defined by Oleg Izhboldin, is dim_es(X)=dim(X)-i(X) +1, where i(X) is the first Witt index of X (i.e., the Witt index of X over its function field).Let Y be a complete (possibly singular) algebraic variety over F with all closed points of even degree and such that Y has a closed point of odd degree over F(X). Our main theorem states that dim_es(X)dim(Y) and that in the case dim_es(X)=dim(Y) the quadric X is isotropic over F(Y).Applying the main theorem to a projective quadric Y, we get a proof of Izhboldins conjecture stated as follows: if an anisotropic quadric Y becomes isotropic over F(X), then dim_es(X)dim_es(Y), and the equality holds if and only if X is isotropic over F(Y). We also solve Knebuschs problem by proving that the smallest transcendence degree of a generic splitting field of a quadric X is equal to dim_es(X). To the memory of Oleg Izhboldin     

Bounding Ext for modules for algebraic groups, finite groups and quantum groups

Given a finite root system Φ, we show that there is an integer c=c(Φ) such that , for any reductive algebraic group G with root system Φ and any irreducible rational G-modules L, L^′. There also is such a bound in the case of finite groups of Lie type, depending only on the root system and not on the underlying field. For quantum groups, a similar result holds for Extn, for any integer n?0, using a constant depending only on n and the root system. When L is the trivial module, the same result is proved in the algebraic group case, thus giving similar bounded properties, independent of characteristic, for algebraic and generic cohomology. (A similar result holds for any choice of L=L(λ), even allowing λ to vary, provided the p-adic expansion of lambda is limited to a fixed number of terms.) In particular, because of the interpretation of generic cohomology as a limit for underlying families of finite groups, the same boundedness properties hold asymptotically for finite groups of Lie type. The results both use, and have consequences for, Kazhdan–Lusztig polynomials. Appendix A proves a stable version, needed for small prime arguments, of Donkin's tilting module conjecture.