On the non-existence of cyclic splitting fields for division algebras

Abstract

LetDbe a division algebra over its centerFof degreen. Consider the group{\mu_{Z}(D)=\mu_{n}(F)/Z(D^{\prime})}, where{\mu_{n}(F)}is the group of all then-th roots of unity in{F^{*}}, and{Z(D^{\prime})}is the center of the commutator subgroup of the group of units{D^{*}}ofD. It is shown that if{\mu_{Z}(D\otimes_{F}L)\neq 1}for someLcontaining all the primitive{n^{k}}-th roots of unity for all positive integersk, thenDis not split by any cyclic extension ofF. This criterion is employed to prove that some special classes of division algebras are not cyclically split.