has cardinality r ≥ 1. Let G be the F-rational points of a simple Chevalley group defined over F. In his thesis, Matsumoto [5] gave a beautiful construction for the metaplectic cover G̃ of G, a central extension of G by μr(F) whose existence is intimately connected with the deep properties of the r-th order Hilbert symbol (·, ·)F : F × × F → μr(F). Metaplectic groups figure prominently in the st...