Group algebras with symmetric units satisfying a group identity

We study group algebras FG for which the symmetric units under the natural involution: g^*=g⁻¹ satisfy a group identity. For infinite fields F of characteristic ≠2, a classification of torsion groups G whose symmetric units U⁺(FG) satisfy a group identity was given in [3] by Giambruno-Sehgal-Valenti. We extend this work to non torsion groups. Research supported by NSERC of Canada and MIUR of Italy.     

Star-group identities and groups of units

Analogous to *-identities in rings with involution we define *-identities in groups. Suppose that G is a torsion group with involution * and that F is an infinite field with char F ≠ 2. Extend * linearly to FG. We prove that the unit group U{\mathcal{U}} of FG satisfies a *-identity if and only if the symmetric elements U⁺{\mathcal{U}^+} satisfy a group identity.     

Unitary units and skew elements in group algebras

 Let FG be the group algebra of a group G over a field F and let * denote the canonical involution of FG induced by the map g→g ⁻¹ ,gG. Let Un(FG)={uFG|uu ^* =1} be the group of unitary units of FG. In case char F=0, we classify the torsion groups G for which Un(FG) satisfies a group identity not vanishing on 2-elements. Along the way we actually prove that, in characteristic 0, the unitary group Un(FG) does not contain a free group of rank 2 if FG ⁻ , the Lie algebra of skew elements of FG, is Lie nilpotent. Motivated by this connection we characterize most groups G for which FG ⁻ is Lie nilpotent and char F≠2. Received: 15 July 2002 / Revised version: 28 December 2002 Published online: 24 April 2003 Research partially supported by MURST (Italy) and FAPESP and CNPq (Brazil). Mathematics Subject Classification (2000): Primary 16U60; Secondary 16W10, 20C07     

Group Rings Whose Symmetric Units Generate an n-Engel Group

Let F be an infinite field of characteristic different from 2 and G a torsion group. Write 𝒰⁺(FG) for the set of units in the group ring FG that are symmetric with respect to the classical involution induced from the map g ? g ^?1, for all g ∈ G. We classify the groups such that ?𝒰⁺(FG)? is n-Engel.     

Lie nilpotence of group rings

Let FG be the group algebra of a group G over a field F. Denote by ? the natural involution, (∑f_i g_i ^-1. Let S and K denote the set of symmetric and skew symmetric and skew symmetric elements respectively with respect to this involutin. It is proved that if the characteristic of F is zero p≠2 and G has no 2-elements, then the Lie nilpotence of S or K implies the Lie nilpotence of FG.     

Nilpotency of group ring units symmetric with respect to an involution

Let F be an infinite field of characteristic different from 2. Let G be a torsion group having an involution ∗, and consider the units of the group ring FG that are symmetric with respect to the induced involution. We classify the groups G such that these symmetric units satisfy a nilpotency identity (x₁,…,x_n)=1.     

The lie n-engel property in group rings

Let FGbe the group ring of a group Gover a field Fwhose characteristic is p≠ 2 Let ? denote the involution on FGwhich sends each group element to its inverse. Let (FG)⁺and (FG)^–denote, respectively, the sets of symmetric and skew elements with respect to ?.The conditions under which the group ring is Lie n-Engel for some nare known.We show that if either (FG)⁺or (FG)^–- is Lie n-Engel, and Gis devoid of 2-elements, then FGis Lie m-Engel for some m. Furthermore, we completely classify the remaining groups for which (FG)⁺is Lie n-Engel.     

The nilpotency class of the unit group of a modular group algebra II

LetG be a finitep-group, and letU(G) be the group of units of the group algebraFG, whereF is a field of characteristicp. It is shown that, if the commutative subgroup ofG has order at leastp ², then the nilpotency class ofU(G) is at least 2p−1. The authors are grateful to the Dipartimento di Matematica of the Universita di Trento, and to the Mathematical Institute of the University of Oxford, for their hospitality while this paper was being written. Then are also grateful to Robert Sandling, for communication of results, and problems, prior to publication.     

Lie properties of symmetric elements in group rings II

Let F be a field of characteristic different from 2, and G a group with involution ∗. Write (FG)⁺ for the set of elements in the group ring FG that are symmetric with respect to the induced involution. Recently, Giambruno, Polcino Milies and Sehgal showed that if G has no 2-elements, and (FG)⁺ is Lie nilpotent (resp. Lie n-Engel), then FG is Lie nilpotent (resp. Lie m-Engel, for some m). Here, we classify the groups containing 2-elements such that (FG)⁺ is Lie nilpotent or Lie n-Engel.     

Invariants for group algebras of Abelian groups

LetF be a field of characteristicp>0 and letG be an arbitrary abelian group written multiplicatively withp-basis subgroup denoted byB. The first main result of the present paper is thatB is an isomorphism invariant of theF-group algebraFG. In particular, thep-local algebraically compact groupG can be retrieved fromFG. Moreover, for the lower basis subgroupB ₁ of thep-componentG _p it is shown thatG _p/B_l is determined byFG. Besides, ifH is (p-)high inG, thenG _p/H_p andH ^{p n}[p] for ℕ₀ are structure invariants forFG, andH[p] as a valued vector space is a structural invariant forN ₀ G, whereN _p is the simple field ofp-elements. Next, presume thatG isp-mixed with maximal divisible subgroupD. ThenD andF(G/D) are functional invariants forFG. The final major result is that the relative Ulm-Kaplansky-Mackeyp-invariants ofG with respect to the subgroupC are isomorphic invariants of the pair (FG, FC) ofF-algebras. These facts generalize and extend analogous in this aspect results due to May (1969), Berman-Mollov (1969) and Beers-Richman-Walker (1983). As a finish, some other invariants for commutative group algebras are obtained.     

Isomorphic Commutative Group Algebras of p-Mixed Warfield Groups

Let G be a p-mixed Warfield Abelian group and F a field of char F = p ≠ 0. It is proved that if for any group H the group algebras FH and FG are F-isomorphic, then H is isomorphic to G. This presentation enlarges a result of W. May argued when G is p-local Warfield Abelian and published in Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. （1988）.     

Simple Components of the Center of FG/J(FG)

Let G be a finite group, F a field, FG the group ring of G over F, and J(FG) the Jacobson radical of FG. Using a result of Berman and Witt, we give a method to determine the structure of the center of FG/J(FG), provided that F satisfies a field theoretical condition.     

Basic subgroups in modular abelian group algebras

Suppose F is a perfect field of char F = p ≠ 0 and G is an arbitrary abelian multiplicative group with a p-basic subgroup B and p-component G _p . Let FG be the group algebra with normed group of all units V(FG) and its Sylow p-subgroup S(FG), and let I _p (FG; B) be the nilradical of the relative augmentation ideal I(FG; B) of FG with respect to B. The main results that motivate this article are that 1 + I _p (FG; B) is basic in S(FG), and B(1 + I _p (FG; B)) is p-basic in V(FG) provided G is p-mixed. These achievements extend in some way a result of N. Nachev (1996) in Houston J. Math. when G is p-primary. Thus the problem of obtaining a (p-)basic subgroup in FG is completely resolved provided that the field F is perfect. Moreover, it is shown that G _p (1 + I _p (FG; B))/G _p is basic in S(FG)/G _p , and G(1 + I _p (FG; B))/G is basic in V(FG)/G provided G is p-mixed. As consequences, S(FG) and S(FG)/G _p are both starred or divisible groups. All of the listed assertions enlarge in a new aspect affirmations established by us in Czechoslovak Math. J. (2002), Math. Bohemica (2004) and Math. Slovaca (2005) as well.     

Unitary Units Satisfying a Group Identity

Let K be a nonabsolute field of characteristic p ≠ 2, G a locally finite group and KG its group algebra. Let ?: KG → KG denote the K-linear extension of an involution ? defined on G. In this article, we prove that if the subgroup 𝒰_?(KG), i.e., the ?-unitary units of KG, satisfies a group identity, then KG satisfies a polynomial identity. Moreover, in case the prime radical of KG is nilpotent, we characterize the groups G for which 𝒰_?(KG) satisfies a group identity.     

Commutative Group Algebras of Cardinality {\cal N} 1

We let FG be the group algebra of an abelian group G over a field F with characteristic p. Also, we define G_p and S(FG) as the groups of all p-primary normed elements in G and FG, respectively. We prove that if G_p is Hausdorff and both F and G have cardinalities not exceeding ₁, then S(FG)/G_p is a direct sum of cyclics. Thus G_p is a direct factor of S(FG), and in particular G is a direct factor of the group of all normalized units V(FG), provided that the torsion part of G is a p-group. This answers a question posed by us in Hokkaido Math. J. (2000). Moreover we establish that if G is p-splitting, then any F-isomorphism of the group algebras FG and FH implies that H is p-splitting. We also show that if G is of power ₁ whose p-component G_p is a direct sum of torsion-complete groups and F has power p, then the F-isomorphism of FG and FH for any group H yields an isomorphism between G_p and H_p. In particular, when G is of power ₁ and is p-mixed of torsion-free rank 1 whose G_p is torsion-complete, we have G H. If F is in power p and G, with cardinality ₁, is a direct sum of p-local algebraically compact groups such that FG FH as F-algebras for some group H, then G H. These statements extend results due to Beers-Richman-Walker (1983), and also partially solve a well-known question raised by May in 1979.     

Centralizers satisfying polynomial identities

The following results are proved: IfR is a simple ring with unit, and for someaεR witha ⁿ in the center ofR, anyn, such that the centralizer ofa inR satisfies a polynomial identity of degreem, thenR satisfies the standard identity of degreenm. WhenR is not simple,R will satisfy a power of the same standard identity, provided thata andn are invertible inR. These theorems are then applied to show that ifG is a finite solvable group of automorphisms of a ringR, and the fixed points ofG inR satisfy a polynomial identity, thenR satisfies a polynomial identity, providedR has characteristic 0 or characteristicp wherep✗|G|. This research was supported in part by NSF Grant No. GP 29119X.     

On simple modules and normal subgroups of p-solvable groups

Let N be a normal subgroup of a p-solvable group G and let M be a simple FN-module, where F is an algebraically closed field of characteristic p. Next, denote by IRR⁰(FG|M) the set of all simple FG-modules V lying over M such that the p-part of dim_F V is as small as possible. In this paper, |IRR⁰(FG|M)| and the vertices of modules in IRR⁰(FG|M) are determined. The p-blocks of G to which modules in IRR⁰(FG|M) belong are also determined.Received: 5 December 2003     

Primitive rings with involution and pivotal monomials

With the aid of ultrafilters an example is constructed of a primitive ring with involution and zero socle in which the symmetric elementsS satisfys ² c=s,c depending on and commuting withs (thusS satisfies the pivotal monomialx). However, by suitably restricting the definition of generalized pivotal monomial (essentially by making the variables linear) it is shown that a primitive ring with involution has nonzero socle if and only if the symmetric elements satisfy a restricted GPM.     

Confined subgroups in periodic simple finitary linear groups

A subgroupX of the locally finite groupG is said to beconfined, if there exists a finite subgroupF≤G such thatX ^g∩F≠1 for allg∈G. Since there seems to be a certain correspondence between proper confined subgroups inG and non-trivial ideals in the complex group algebra ℂG, we determine the confined subgroups of periodic simple finitary linear groups in this paper. Dedicated to the memory of our friend and collaborator Richard E. Phillips     

A reduction theorem for the McKay conjecture

The McKay conjecture asserts that for every finite group G and every prime p, the number of irreducible characters of G having p’-degree is equal to the number of such characters of the normalizer of a Sylow p-subgroup of G. Although this has been confirmed for large numbers of groups, including, for example, all solvable groups and all symmetric groups, no general proof has yet been found. In this paper, we reduce the McKay conjecture to a question about simple groups. We give a list of conditions that we hope all simple groups will satisfy, and we show that the McKay conjecture will hold for a finite group G if every simple group involved in G satisfies these conditions. Also, we establish that our conditions are satisfied for the simple groups PSL₂(q) for all prime powers q≥4, and for the Suzuki groups Sz(q) and Ree groups R(q), where q=2 ^e or q=3 ^e respectively, and e>1 is odd. Since our conditions are also satisfied by the sporadic simple group J ₁, it follows that the McKay conjecture holds (for all primes p) for every finite group having an abelian Sylow 2-subgroup.