Rings and semigroups with permutable zero products

We consider rings R, not necessarily with 1, for which there is a nontrivial permutation σ on n letters such that x₁?x_n=0 implies x_σ(1)?x_σ(n)=0 for all x₁,…,x_n∈R. We prove that this condition alone implies very strong permutability conditions for zero products with sufficiently many factors. To this end we study the infinite sequences of permutation groups P_n(R) consisting of those permutations σ on n letters for which the condition above is satisfied in R. We give the full characterization of such sequences both for rings and for semigroups with 0. This enables us to generalize some recent results by Cohn on reversible rings and by Lambek, Anderson and Camillo on rings and semigroups whose zero products commute. In particular, we prove that rings with permutable zero products satisfy the Köthe conjecture.     

Iyama’s finiteness theorem via strongly quasi-hereditary algebras

Let Λ be an artin algebra and X a finitely generated Λ-module. Iyama has shown that there exists a module Y such that the endomorphism ring Γ of X⊕Y is quasi-hereditary, with a heredity chain of length n, and that the global dimension of Γ is bounded by this n. In general, one only knows that a quasi-hereditary algebra with a heredity chain of length n must have global dimension at most 2n−2. We want to show that Iyama’s better bound is related to the fact that the ring Γ he constructs is not only quasi-hereditary, but even left strongly quasi-hereditary. By definition, the left strongly quasi-hereditary algebras are the quasi-hereditary algebras with all standard left modules of projective dimension at most 1.     

Identifications in modular group algebras

Let G be a group, S a subgroup of G, and F a field of characteristic p. We denote the augmentation ideal of the group algebra FG by ω(G). The Zassenhaus-Jennings-Lazard series of G is defined by D_n(G)=G∩(1+ωⁿ(G)). We give a constructive proof of a theorem of Quillen stating that the graded algebra associated with FG is isomorphic as an algebra to the enveloping algebra of the restricted Lie algebra associated with the D_n(G). We then extend a theorem of Jennings that provides a basis for the quotient ωⁿ(G)/ωⁿ⁺¹(G) in terms of a basis of the restricted Lie algebra associated with the D_n(G). We shall use these theorems to prove the main results of this paper. For G a finite p-group and n a positive integer, we prove that G∩(1+ω(G)ωⁿ(S))=D_n+1(S) and G∩(1+ω²(G)ωⁿ(S))=D_n+2(S)D_n+1(S∩D₂(G)). The analogous results for integral group rings of free groups have been previously obtained by Gruenberg, Hurley, and Sehgal.     

Morphic rings and unit regular rings

A ring R is called left morphic if for every a∈R. A left and right morphic ring is called a morphic ring. If M_n(R) is morphic for all n≥1 then R is called a strongly morphic ring. A well-known result of Erlich says that a ring R is unit regular iff it is both (von Neumann) regular and left morphic. A new connection between morphic rings and unit regular rings is proved here: a ring R is unit regular iff R[x]/(xⁿ) is strongly morphic for all n≥1 iff R[x]/(x²) is morphic. Various new families of left morphic or strongly morphic rings are constructed as extensions of unit regular rings and of principal ideal domains. This places some known examples in a broader context and answers some existing questions.     

An elementary proof that random Fibonacci sequences grow exponentially

We consider random Fibonacci sequences given by xn+1=±βxn+xn−1. Viswanath [Divakar Viswanath, Random Fibonacci sequences and the number 1.13198824…, Math. Comp. 69 (231) (2000) 1131-1155, MR MR1654010 (2000j:15040)] following Furstenberg [Harry Furstenberg, Noncommuting random products, Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 108 (1963) 377-428, MR MR0163345 (29 #648)] showed that when β=1, limn→∞|xn|^1/n=1.13…, but his proof involves the use of floating point computer calculations. We give a completely elementary proof that 1.23375?(E(|xn|))^1/n?1.12095 where E(|xn|) is the expected value for the absolute value of the nth term in a random Fibonacci sequence. We compute this expected value using recurrence relations which bound the sum of all possible nth terms for such sequences. In addition, we give upper and lower bounds for the second moment of the |xn|. Finally, we consider the conjecture of Embree and Trefethen [Mark Embree, Lloyd N. Trefethen, Growth and decay of random Fibonacci sequences, R. Soc. Lond. Proc. Ser. A Math. Phys. Eng. Sci. 455 (1987) (1999) 2471-2485, MR MR1807827 (2001i:11098)], derived using computational calculations, that for values of β<0.702585 such sequences decay. We show that as β decreases, the critical value where growth can change to decay is in fact .     

Wild algebras have one-point extensions of representation dimension at least four

We show that any wild algebra has a one-point extension of representation dimension at least four, and more generally that it has an n-point extension of representation dimension at least n+3. We give two explicit constructions, and obtain new examples of small algebras of representation dimension four.     

Power integral bases for Selmer-like number fields

The Selmer trinomials are the trinomials f(X)∈{Xn−X−1,Xn+X+1|n>1 is an integer} over Z. For these trinomials we show that the ideal C=(f(X),f^′(X))Z[X] has height two and contains the linear polynomial (n−1)X+n. We then give several necessary and sufficient conditions for D[X]/(f(X)D[X]) to be a regular ring, where f(X) is an arbitrary polynomial over a Dedekind domain D such that its ideal C has height two and contains a product of primitive linear polynomials. We next specialize to the Selmer-like trinomials bXn+cX+d and bXn+cXn−1+d over D and give several more such necessary and sufficient conditions (among them is that C is a radical ideal). We then specialize to the Selmer trinomials over Z and give quite a few more such conditions (among them is that the discriminant Disc(Xn−X−1)=±(nn−(1−n)ⁿ⁻¹) of Xn−X−1 is square-free (respectively Disc(Xn+X+1)=±(nn+(1−n)ⁿ⁻¹) of Xn+X+1 is square-free)). Finally, we show that nn+(1−n)ⁿ⁻¹ is never square-free when n≡2 (mod 3) and n>2, but, otherwise, both are very often (but not always) square-free.     

On the combinatorial rank of a graded braided bialgebra

Let B be a graded braided bialgebra. Let S(B) denote the algebra obtained dividing out B by the two sided ideal generated by homogeneous primitive elements in B of degree at least two. We prove that S(B) is indeed a graded braided bialgebra quotient of B. It is then natural to compute S(S(B)), S(S(S(B))) and so on. This process yields a direct system whose direct limit comes out to be a graded braided bialgebra which is strongly N-graded as a coalgebra. Following V.K. Kharchenko, if the direct system is stationary exactly after n steps, we say that B has combinatorial rank n and we write κ(B)=n. We investigate conditions guaranteeing that κ(B) is finite. In particular, we focus on the case when B is the braided tensor algebra T(V,c) associated to a braided vector space (V,c), providing meaningful examples such that κ(T(V,c))≤1.     

Rings of matrix invariants in positive characteristic

Denote by R_n,m the ring of invariants of m-tuples of n×n matrices (m,n?2) over an infinite base field K under the simultaneous conjugation action of the general linear group. When char(K)=0, Razmyslov (Izv. Akad. Nauk SSSR Ser. Mat. 38 (1974) 723) and Procesi (Adv. Math. 19 (1976) 306) established a connection between the Nagata-Higman theorem and the degree bound for generators of R_n,m. We extend this relationship to the case when the base field has positive characteristic. In particular, we show that if 0<char(K))?n, then R_n,m is not generated by its elements whose degree is smaller than m. A minimal system of generators of R_2,m is determined for the case char(K)=2: it consists of 2^m+m−1 elements, and the maximum of their degrees is m. We deduce a consequence indicating that the theory of vector invariants of the special orthogonal group in characteristic 2 is not analogous to the case char(K)≠2. We prove that the characterization of the R_n,m that are complete intersections, known before when char(K)=0, is valid for any infinite K. We give a Cohen-Macaulay presentation of R_2,4, and analyze the difference between the cases char(K)=2 and char(K)≠2.     

On deformations of crossed products

Let A∗Γ be a crossed product algebra, where A is semisimple, finitely generated over its center and Γ is a finite group. We give a necessary and sufficient condition in terms of the outer action of Γ on A for the existence of a multi-parametric semisimple deformation of the form A((t₁,…,t_n))∗Γ (with the induced outer action). The main tool in the proof is the solution of the so-called twisting problem. We also give an example which shows that the condition is not sufficient if one drops the condition on the finite generation of A over its center.     

Some families of strongly clean rings

A ring R with identity is called strongly clean if every element of R is the sum of an idempotent and a unit that commute with each other. For a commutative local ring R and for an arbitrary integer n?2, the paper deals with the question whether the strongly clean property of M_n(R[[x]]), , and M_n(RC₂) follows from the strongly clean property of M_n(R). This is ‘Yes’ if n=2 by a known result.     

Codimensions of algebras and growth functions

Let A be an algebra over a field F of characteristic zero and let cn(A), , be its sequence of codimensions. We prove that if cn(A) is exponentially bounded, its exponential growth can be any real number >1. This is achieved by constructing, for any real number α>1, an F-algebra Aα such that exists and equals α. The methods are based on the representation theory of the symmetric group and on properties of infinite Sturmian and periodic words.     

n-representation infinite algebras

From the viewpoint of higher dimensional Auslander–Reiten theory, we introduce a new class of finite dimensional algebras of global dimension n, which we call n-representation infinite. They are a certain analog of representation infinite hereditary algebras, and we study three important classes of modules: n-preprojective, n-preinjective and n  -regular modules. We observe that their homological behaviour is quite interesting. For instance they provide first examples of algebras having infinite Ext¹${\mathrm{Ext}}^1$-orthogonal families of modules. Moreover we give general constructions of n-representation infinite algebras.     

Additivity of multiplicative maps on triangular rings

In this paper we shall give a unified technique in the discussion of the additivity of n-multiplicative automorphisms, n-multiplicative derivations, n-elementary surjective maps, and Jordan multiplicative surjective maps on triangular rings.     

Differential operator specializations of noncommutative symmetric functions

Let K be any unital commutative Q-algebra and z=(z₁,…,zn) commutative or noncommutative free variables. Let t be a formal parameter which commutes with z and elements of K. We denote uniformly by K《z》 and K?t?《z》 the formal power series algebras of z over K and K?t?, respectively. For any α?1, let D[α]《z》 be the unital algebra generated by the differential operators of K《z》 which increase the degree in z by at least α−1 and the group of automorphisms Ft(z)=z−Ht(z) of K?t?《z》 with o(Ht(z))?α and Ht=0(z)=0. First, for any fixed α?1 and , we introduce five sequences of differential operators of K《z》 and show that their generating functions form an NCS (noncommutative symmetric) system [W. Zhao, Noncommutative symmetric systems over associative algebras, J. Pure Appl. Algebra 210 (2) (2007) 363-382] over the differential algebra D[α]《z》. Consequently, by the universal property of the NCS system formed by the generating functions of certain NCSFs (noncommutative symmetric functions) first introduced in [I.M. Gelfand, D. Krob, A. Lascoux, B. Leclerc, V.S. Retakh, J.-Y. Thibon, Noncommutative symmetric functions, Adv. Math. 112 (2) (1995) 218-348, MR1327096; see also hep-th/9407124], we obtain a family of Hopf algebra homomorphisms , which are also grading-preserving when Ft satisfies certain conditions. Note that the homomorphisms SFt above can also be viewed as specializations of NCSFs by the differential operators of K《z》. Secondly, we show that, in both commutative and noncommutative cases, this family SFt (with all n?1 and ) of differential operator specializations can distinguish any two different NCSFs. Some connections of the results above with the quasi-symmetric functions [I. Gessel, Multipartite P-partitions and inner products of skew Schur functions, in: Contemp. Math., vol. 34, 1984, pp. 289-301, MR0777705; C. Malvenuto, C. Reutenauer, Duality between quasi-symmetric functions and the Solomon descent algebra, J. Algebra 177 (3) (1995) 967-982, MR1358493; Richard P. Stanley, Enumerative Combinatorics II, Cambridge University Press, 1999] are also discussed.     

Unimodular eigenvalues, uniformly distributed sequences and linear dynamics

We study increasing sequences of positive integers (nk)_k?1 with the following property: every bounded linear operator T acting on a separable Banach (or Hilbert) space with supk?1‖Tnk‖<∞ has a countable set of unimodular eigenvalues. Whether this property holds or not depends on the distribution (modulo one) of sequences (nkα)_k?1, α∈R, or on the growth of nk+1/nk. Counterexamples to some conjectures in linear dynamics are given. For instance, a Hilbert space operator which is frequently hypercyclic, chaotic, but not topologically mixing is constructed. The situation of C₀-semigroups is also discussed.