Local automorphisms of nilpotent algebras of matrices of small orders

Let K be an associative commutative ring with identity, and let R be the algebra of lower niltriangular n × n matrices over K. For n = 3, we prove that local automorphisms and Lie automorphisms of the algebra R generate all its local Lie automorphisms. For the case when K is a field and n = 4, we describe local automorphisms, local derivations, and local Lie automorphisms of the algebra R.     

Representability and Specht problem for G-graded algebras

Let W be an associative PI-algebra over a field F of characteristic zero, graded by a finite group G. Let idG(W) denote the T-ideal of G-graded identities of W. We prove: 1. [G-graded PI-equivalence] There exists a field extension K of F and a finite-dimensional Z/2Z×G-graded algebra A over K such that idG(W)=idG(A^∗) where A^∗ is the Grassmann envelope of A. 2. [G-graded Specht problem] The T-ideal idG(W) is finitely generated as a T-ideal. 3. [G-graded PI-equivalence for affine algebras] Let W be a G-graded affine algebra over F. Then there exists a field extension K of F and a finite-dimensional algebra A over K such that idG(W)=idG(A).     

Lie algebras and algebras of associative type

In the paper, some properties of algebras of associative type are studied, and these properties are then used to describe the structure of finite-dimensional semisimple modular Lie algebras. It is proved that the homogeneous radical of any finite-dimensional algebra of associative type coincides with the kernel of some form induced by the trace function with values in a polynomial ring. This fact is used to show that every finite-dimensional semisimple algebra of associative type A = ⊕ _αεG A _α graded by some group G, over a field of characteristic zero, has a nonzero component A ₁ (where 1 stands for the identity element of G), and A ₁ is a semisimple associative algebra. Let B = ⊕ _αεG B _α be a finite-dimensional semisimple Lie algebra over a prime field F _p , and let B be graded by a commutative group G. If B = F _p ? _? A _L , where A _L is the commutator algebra of a ?-algebra A = ⊕ _αεG A _α ; if ? ? _? A is an algebra of associative type, then the 1-component of the algebra K ? _? B, where K stands for the algebraic closure of the field F _p , is the sum of some algebras of the form gl(n _i ,K).     

On character amenability of Banach algebras

We continue our work [E. Kaniuth, A.T. Lau, J. Pym, On φ-amenability of Banach algebras, Math. Proc. Cambridge Philos. Soc. 144 (2008) 85-96] in the study of amenability of a Banach algebra A defined with respect to a character φ of A. Various necessary and sufficient conditions of a global and a pointwise nature are found for a Banach algebra to possess a φ-mean of norm 1. We also completely determine the size of the set of φ-means for a separable weakly sequentially complete Banach algebra A with no φ-mean in A itself. A number of illustrative examples are discussed.     

Identities and isomorphisms of graded simple algebras

Let G be an arbitrary abelian group and let A and B be two finite dimensional G-graded simple algebras over an algebraically closed field F such that the orders of all finite subgroups of G are invertible in F. We prove that A and B are isomorphic if and only if they satisfy the same G-graded identities. We also describe all isomorphism classes of finite dimensional G-graded simple algebras.     

CertainC*-algebras with real rank zero and their corona and multiplier algebras: II

We first determine the homotopy classes of nontrivial projections in a purely infinite simpleC*-algebraA, in the associated multiplier algebraM(A) and the corona algebraM A/A in terms ofK _*(A). Then we describe the generalized Fredholm indices as the group of homotopy classes of non-trivial projections ofA; consequently, we determine theK _*-groups of all hereditaryC*-subalgebras of certain corona algebras. Secondly, we consider a group structure of *-isomorphism classes of hereditaryC*-subalgebras of purely infinite simpleC*-algebras. In addition, we prove that ifA is aC*-algebra of real rank zero, then each unitary ofA, in caseA it unital, each unitary ofM(A) and ofM(A)/A, in caseA is nonunital but -unital, can be factored into a product of a unitary homotopic to the identity and a unitary matrix whose entries are all partial isometries (with respect to a decomposition of the identity).Partially supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation.     

NonstableK-Theory for operator algebras

We show that the homotopy groups of the group of quasi-unitaries inC ^*-algebras form a homology theory on the category of allC ^*-algebras which becomes topologicalK-theory when stabilized. We then show how this functorial setting, in particular the half-exactness of the involved functors, helps to calculate the homotopy groups of the group of unitaries in a series ofC ^*-algebras. The calculations include the case of all AbelianC ^*-algebras and allC ^*-algebras of the formAB, whereA is one of the Cuntz algebras O_n n=2, 3, ..., an infinite dimensional simpleAF-algebra, the stable multiplier or corona algebra of a-unitalC ^*-algebra, a properly infinite von Neumann algebra, or one of the projectionless simpleC ^*-algebras constructed by Blackadar.     

Completing an extension of Tunnell's theorem

We look at a special case of a familiar problem: Given a locally compact group G, a subgroup H and a complex representation π₊ of G how does π₊ decompose on restriction to H. Here G is GL⁺(2,F), where F is a nonarchimedian local field of characteristic not two, K a separable quadratic extension of F, GL⁺(2,F) the subgroup of index 2 in GL(2,F) consisting of those matrices whose determinant is in NK/F(K^∗), π₊ is an irreducible, admissible supercuspidal representation of GL⁺(2,F) and H=K^∗ under an embedding of K^∗ into GL(2,F).     

The automorphism group of a circle geometry

The following is proved: Theorem. Let n be an integer, n ? 2. Let F be a field with at least Max(n, 3) distinct elements and let K be a separable extension field of dimension n over F. Then the group of all automorphisms of the n-dimensional circle geometry CG(F, K) is the group induced on the 1-dimensional vector subspaces over K of the underlying 2-dimensional vector space V over K by the semi-linear permutations of V over K for which the associated automorphisms of K induce automorphisms of F.With the hope of broadening the interest in the foundations of geometry, the author attempts to give anough detail so that, without consulting the literature, any attentive algebraist can understand clearly both the content of the theorem and the pattern of its proof and can identify easily any gaps in his knowledge which might prevent him from viewing this paper as a contribution to geometry. Adequate references are given.     

Lie algebras admitting a metacyclic frobenius group of automorphisms

Suppose that a Lie algebra L admits a finite Frobenius group of automorphisms FH with cyclic kernel F and complement H such that the characteristic of the ground field does not divide |H|. It is proved that if the subalgebra C _L (F) of fixed points of the kernel has finite dimension m and the subalgebra C _L (H) of fixed points of the complement is nilpotent of class c, then L has a nilpotent subalgebra of finite codimension bounded in terms of m, c, |H|, and |F| whose nilpotency class is bounded in terms of only |H| and c. Examples show that the condition of F being cyclic is essential.     

Every place admits local uniformization in a finite extension of the function field

We prove that every place P of an algebraic function field F|K of arbitrary characteristic admits local uniformization in a finite extension F of F. We show that F|F can be chosen to be Galois, after a finite purely inseparable extension of the ground field K. Instead of being Galois, the extension can also be chosen such that the induced extension FP|FP of the residue fields is purely inseparable and the value group of F only gets divided by the residue characteristic. If F lies in the completion of an Abhyankar place, then no extension of F is needed. Our proofs are based solely on valuation theoretical theorems, which are of particular importance in positive characteristic. They are also applicable when working over a subring R⊂K and yield similar results if R is regular and of dimension smaller than 3.     

Morita context of weak Hopf algebras

Let H be a finite-dimensional weak Hopf algebra and A a left H-module algebra with its invariant subalgebra A~H.We prove that the smash product A#H is an A-ring with a grouplike character, and give a criterion for A#H to be Frobenius over A. Using the theory of A-rings, we mainly construct a Morita context connecting the smash product A#H and the invariant subalgebra A~H , which generalizes the corresponding results obtained by Cohen, Fischman and Montgomery.     

Automorphisms of blocks of group algebras and character values

Let G be a finite group, χ an irreducible complex character of G and A(χ) the block ideal of the group algebra ℚG relatedℴ χ. The aim of this paper is to study the group Aut (A(χ)) of all ring (or ℚ-algebra) automorphisms of A(χ). Especially we are interested in the existence of subgroups of Aut (A(χ)), which are isomorphic to a given subgroup Γ of the Galois group of the field of character values ℚ(χ) over the rationals. In this context we prove some results related to character values.     

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.     

Representation-finite triangular algebras form an open scheme

Let V be a valuation ring in an algebraically closed field K with the residue field R. Assume that A is a V-order such that the R-algebra Ā obtained from A by reduction modulo the radical of V is triangular and representation-finite. Then the K-algebra KA ≅ A ⊗ _V is again triangular and representation-finite. It follows by the van den Dries’s test that triangular representation-finite algebras form an open scheme.     

On the action of derivations on nilpotent ideals of associative algebras

Let I be a nilpotent ideal of an associative algebra A over a field F and let D be a derivation of A. We prove that the ideal I + D(I) is nilpotent if char F = 0 or the nilpotency index I is less than char F = p in the case of the positive characteristic of the field F. In particular, the sum N(A) of all nilpotent ideals of the algebra A is a characteristic ideal if char F = 0 or N(A) is a nilpotent ideal of index < p = char F.     

An abstract characterization of Thompson’s group F

We show that Thompson’s group F is the symmetry group of the ‘generic idempotent’. That is, take the monoidal category freely generated by an object A and an isomorphism A ? A→A; then F is the group of automorphisms of A.     

Comparison between algebraic and topological K-theory of locally convex algebras

This paper is concerned with the algebraic K-theory of locally convex C-algebras stabilized by operator ideals, and its comparison with topological K-theory. We show that if L is locally convex and J a Fréchet operator ideal, then all the different variants of topological K-theory agree on the completed projective tensor product , and that the obstruction for the comparison map to be an isomorphism is (absolute) algebraic cyclic homology. We prove the existence of an exact sequence (Theorem 6.2.1)We show that cyclic homology vanishes in the case when J is the ideal of compact operators and L is a Fréchet algebra whose topology is generated by a countable family of sub-multiplicative seminorms and admits an approximate right or left unit which is totally bounded with respect to that family (Theorem 8.3.3). This proves the generalized version of Karoubi's conjecture due to Mariusz Wodzicki and announced in his paper [M. Wodzicki, Algebraic K-theory and functional analysis, in: First European Congress of Mathematics, Vol. II, Paris, 1992, in: Progr. Math., vol. 120, Birkhäuser, Basel, 1994, pp. 485-496].We also consider stabilization with respect to a wider class of operator ideals, called sub-harmonic. Every Fréchet ideal is sub-harmonic, but not conversely; for example the Schatten ideal Lp is sub-harmonic for all p>0 but is Fréchet only if p?1. We prove a variant of the exact sequence above which essentially says that if A is a C-algebra and J is sub-harmonic, then the obstruction for the periodicity of K_∗(AC_⊗J) is again cyclic homology (Theorem 7.1.1). This generalizes to all algebras a result of Wodzicki for H-unital algebras announced in [M. Wodzicki, Algebraic K-theory and functional analysis, in: First European Congress of Mathematics, Vol. II, Paris, 1992, in: Progr. Math., vol. 120, Birkhäuser, Basel, 1994, pp. 485-496].The main technical tools we use are the diffeotopy invariance theorem of Cuntz and the second author (which we generalize in Theorem 6.1.6), and the excision theorem for infinitesimal K-theory, due to the first author.