Groups of type $\mathrm{E}_8$ over rings via TKK-algebras and their extremal elements

Abstract

Over any commutative ring containing $\tfrac16$, we study Lie algebras $L$ of type $\mathrm{E}_8$ that arise from the Tits--Kantor--Koecher (TKK) construction on a Brown algebra, and their twisted forms. We construct a smooth scheme $\mathbf{Y}$ of pairs of extremal elements in $L$. When $L$ arises from the TKK-construction, we express the automorphism group, of type $\mathrm{E}_8$, as an $\mathrm{E}_7$-torsor over $\mathbf{Y}$. We show that twisting by this torsor produces the graded isomorphism classes of those algebras isomorphic to $L$, and parametrize these classes by using $\mathbf{Y}$. We show that this torsor is non-trivial, yielding isomorphic Lie algebras of type $\mathrm{E}_8$ that are not graded isomorphic, as opposed to the behaviour over fields.