Hasse invariant of an algebra

Let K be a local field with valuation v and D a K-algebra. We may assume D is a division algebra with centre K of degree n. The valuation v can be extended to D, for example by extending it compatibly to each commutative subfield of D: the value group of this valuation is (1/n)Z.[1]

There is a commutative subfield L of D which is unramified over K, and D splits over L.[2] The field L is not unique but all such extensions are conjugate by the Skolem–Noether theorem, which further shows that any automorphism of L is induced by a conjugation in D. Take γ in D such that conjugation by γ induces the Frobenius automorphism of L/K and let v(γ) = k/n. Then k/n modulo 1 is the Hasse invariant of D. It depends only on the Brauer class of D.[3]

The Hasse invariant is thus a map defined on the Brauer group of a local field K to the divisible group Q/Z.[3][4] Every class in the Brauer group is represented by a class in the Brauer group of an unramified extension of L/K of degree n,[5] which by the Grunwald–Wang theorem and the Albert–Brauer–Hasse–Noether theorem we may take to be a cyclic algebra (L,φ,π^k) for some k mod n, where φ is the Frobenius map and π is a uniformiser.[6] The invariant map attaches the element k/n mod 1 to the class. This exhibits the invariant map as a homomorphism

${\displaystyle {\underset {L/K}{\operatorname {inv} }}:\operatorname {Br} (L/K)\rightarrow \mathbb {Q} /\mathbb {Z} .}$

The invariant map extends to Br(K) by representing each class by some element of Br(L/K) as above.[3][4]

For a non-Archimedean local field, the invariant map is a group isomorphism.[3][7]

In the case of the field R of real numbers, there are two Brauer classes, represented by the algebra R itself and the quaternion algebra H.[8] It is convenient to assign invariant zero to the class of R and invariant 1/2 modulo 1 to the quaternion class.

In the case of the field C of complex numbers, the only Brauer class is the trivial one, with invariant zero.[9]

For a global field K, given a central simple algebra D over K then for each valuation v of K we can consider the extension of scalars D_v = D ⊗ K_v The extension D_v splits for all but finitely many v, so that the local invariant of D_v is almost always zero. The Brauer group Br(K) fits into an exact sequence[8][9]

${\displaystyle 0\rightarrow {\textrm {Br}}(K)\rightarrow \bigoplus _{v\in S}{\textrm {Br}}(K_{v})\rightarrow \mathbf {Q} /\mathbf {Z} \rightarrow 0,}$

where S is the set of all valuations of K and the right arrow is the sum of the local invariants. The injectivity of the left arrow is the content of the Albert–Brauer–Hasse–Noether theorem. Exactness in the middle term is a deep fact from global class field theory.

• Gille, Philippe; Szamuely, Tamás (2006). Central simple algebras and Galois cohomology. Cambridge Studies in Advanced Mathematics. Vol. 101. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-86103-9. Zbl 1137.12001.
• Lorenz, Falko (2008). Algebra. Volume II: Fields with Structure, Algebras and Advanced Topics. Springer. pp. 231–238. ISBN 978-0-387-72487-4. Zbl 1130.12001.
• Serre, Jean-Pierre (1967). "VI. Local class field theory". In Cassels, J.W.S.; Fröhlich, A. (eds.). Algebraic number theory. Proceedings of an instructional conference organized by the London Mathematical Society (a NATO Advanced Study Institute) with the support of the International Mathematical Union. London: Academic Press. pp. 128–161. Zbl 0153.07403.
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• Shatz, Stephen S. (1972). Profinite groups, arithmetic, and geometry. Annals of Mathematics Studies. Vol. 67. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-08017-8. MR 0347778. Zbl 0236.12002.