Let A | F be a central simple algebra over a p-field F of arbitrary characteristic. Then concretely A may be represented as a complete m_m matrix algebra A=M m (D d ), where D d =D denotes a central division algebra of index d over F. Thus the reduced degree of A over F is N=dm. 1 We write o F , respectively O D , for the ring of integers of F, respectively D, and P F =? F o F , respectively P D =? D O D , for the maximal ideals of o F , respectively O D . We write k F , respectively k D , for the residual fields of F and D.An o F -order of A is any subring of A containing the identity element of A which is also a finitely generated o F submodule of A containing an F basis for A. Let A denote an o F -order of A. We call A hereditary [R, p. 27] if every left ideal of A is a projective left A module. The order A has a Jacobson radical P A [R, p. 77ff ]; it is the minimal (two-sided) ideal of A such that the quotient ring AÂP A is semi-simple. If A is hereditary, then AÂP A is a direct product of complete matrix algebras with entries in k D , and ? F A=P rd A with a positive integer r, called the period of A.
Following Benz [B], Bushnell and Fro hlich [BF], and Fro hlich [F] we callThe period of a principal order A determines A up to conjugacy. If A is principal with period r, then A is conjugate to the standard principal order A r /M r (M s (O D )) such that the r_r matrix g=( g ij ) belongs to A r if and only if g ij # M s (P D ) for i> j. Thus the set of standard principal orders A r of A, and hence the set of conjugacy classes of principal orders of A, corresponds bijectively to the set of factors r of m.