Topological methods for complex-analytic Brauer groups

Abstract

Using methods from algebraic topology and group cohomology, I pursue Grothendieck's question on equality of geometric and cohomological Brauer groups in the context of complex-analytic spaces. The main result is that equality holds under suitable assumptions on the fundamental group and the Pontrjagin dual of the second homotopy group. I apply this to Lie groups, Hopf manifolds, and complex-analytic surfaces.

20 pages, minor corrections, to appear in Topology