On the $1$-cohomology of $\mathrm{SL}(n,{\mathbb K})$ on the dual of its adjoint module

Abstract

Given a field $\mathbb K$, for any $n\geq 3$ the first cohomology group $H^1(G_n,A^*_n)$ of the special linear group $G_n = \mathrm{SL}(n,{\mathbb K})$ over the dual $A^*_n$ of its adjoint module $A_n$ is isomorphic to the space $\mathrm{Der}({\mathbb K})$ of the derivations of $\mathbb K$, except possibly when $|{\mathbb K}| \in \{2, 4\}$ and $n$ is even. This fact is stated by S. Smith and H. Völklein in their paper "A geometric presentation for the adjont module of $\mathrm{SL}_3(k)$" (J. Algebra 127 (1989), 127--138). They claim that when $|{\mathbb K}| > 9$ this fact follows from the main result of Völklein's paper "The 1-cohomology of the adjoint module of a Chevalley group" (Forum Math. 1 (1989), 1--13), but say nothing that can help the reader to deduce it from that result. When $|{\mathbb K}| \leq 9$ they obtain the isomorphism $H^1(G_n,A^*_n) \cong \mathrm{Der}({\mathbb K})$ by means of other results from homological algebra, which however miss the case $|{\mathbb K}| \in\{2, 4\}$ with $n $ even. In the present paper we shall provide a straightforward proof of the isomorphism $H^1(G_n,A^*_n) \cong \mathrm{Der}({\mathbb K})$ under the hypothesis $n > 3$. Our proof also covers the above mentioned missing case.