On the cohomology of linear groups over imaginary quadratic fields

Let Gamma be the group GL_N (OO_D), where OO_D is the ring of integers in the imaginary quadratic field with discriminant D<0. In this paper we investigate the cohomology of Gamma for N=3,4 and for a selection of discriminants: D >= -24 when N=3, and D=-3,-4 when N=4. In particular we compute the integral cohomology of Gamma up to p-power torsion for small primes p. Our main tool is the polyhedral reduction theory for Gamma developed by Ash and Koecher. Our results extend work of Staffeldt, who treated the case n=3, D=-4. In a sequel to this paper, we will apply some of these results to the computations with the K-groups K_4 (OO_{D}), when D=-3,-4.