Abstract.Given a family of separable finite dimensional extensions {L,} of a field A:, we construct a division algebra n2 over its center which is freely generated over k by the fields {L,} .
IntroductionWe fix a ground field k. This paper arose from the wish to understand what restrictions, if any, there are on the collections of algebraic elements in a division algebra of index n over a field extension K of k. The example of Cohn's work on skew field products suggested the approach of studying the ring coproduct of a family of field extensions {L, : / g 7} of k modulo the identities of « by « matrices. This study is carried out in §2 subject to the results that are proved in § §3 and 4. We show that there is a division algebra that deserves the name of a division algebra coproduct of index n, and we describe its algebraic elements.In order to prove that a prime polynomial identity algebra is a domain, it is usually necessary to find a large number of homomorphisms from the given algebra to division algebras of the correct index. In our case, the problem is to find a division algebra D of index n of center K z> k such that L, <&k K embeds in D as a Ä-algebra. We solve this problem in §3. Let D be a central division algebra over k of index and order n . Let L be a separable extension of k of dimension dividing n . We construct a field K d k such that L®kK embeds in the division algebra D ®k K. The construction is geometric and the algebraic varieties we need are closely related to Brauer-Severi varieties.One consequence of the above stated results is that there exist division algebras D and E of index n over some field K such that subfields of D and E are the same, but the subgroup of the Brauer group generated by the classes of D and E is isomorphic to (Z/nZ)2. The referee pointed out to us that B. Fein has constructed such examples where K is a number field [4].The other problem left in §2 to be dealt with in §4 is the question of the polynomial identity degree of the ring coproduct of the fields L¡ amalgamating k modulo the identities of « by « matrices. Is it really « ? If there are only two fields Lx and L2 both of which are quadratic, the answer is no, because