Actions of Solvable Algebraic Groups on Central Simple Algebras

Abstract

Let k be an algebraically closed base field of arbitrary characteristic. In this paper, we study actions of a connected solvable linear algebraic group G on a central simple algebra Q. The main result is the following: Q can be split G-equivariantly by a finite-dimensional splitting field, provided that G acts “algebraically,” i.e., provided that Q contains a G-stable order on which the action is rational. As an application, it is shown that rational torus actions on prime PI-algebras are induced by actions on commutative domains.