Essential dimension of semisimple groups of type $B$

Abstract

We determine the essential dimension of an arbitrary semisimple group of type $B$ of the form \[G=\big(\operatorname{\mathbf{Spin}}(2n_{1}+1)\times\cdots \times \operatorname{\mathbf{Spin}}(2n_{m}+1)\big)/\boldsymbolμ\] over a field of characteristic $0$, for all $n_{1},\ldots, n_{m}\geq 7$, and a central subgroup $\boldsymbolμ$ of $\operatorname{\mathbf{Spin}}(2n_{1}+1)\times\cdots \times \operatorname{\mathbf{Spin}}(2n_{m}+1)$ not containing the center of $\operatorname{\mathbf{Spin}}(2n_i+1)$ as a direct factor. We also find the essential dimension of $G$ for each of the following cases, where either $n_{i}=1$ for all $i$ or $m=2$, $n_{1}=1$, $2\leq n_{2}\leq 3$, $\boldsymbolμ$ is the diagonal central subgroup for both cases.