Fields of representatives of commutative local rings and maximal scalar fields of finite-dimensional algebras

The structure of scalar fields for a directly indecomposable finite-dimensional algebra treated as a ring is studied. Scalar fields are assumed similar if their action on a ring is identical modulo an annihilator. The criterion for a class of maximal scalar fields to be unique under a similitude relation is established. Supported by RFFR grant No. 96-01-01675, and by RF State Committee of Higher Education. Translated fromAlgebra i Logika, Vol. 37, No. 6, pp. 667–686, November–December, 1998.