Localization and Catenarity in Iterated Differential Operator Rings

ABSTRACT

Let k be a field, R an associative k-algebra with identity, Δ a finite set of derivations of R, and RΘ₁, δ₁] ··· Θ _n , δ _n ] an iterated differential operator k-algebra over R such that δ _j (Θ _i ) ∈ RΘ₁, δ₁] ··· Θ _i?1, δ _i?1]; 1 ≤ i < j ≤ n. If R is Noetherian Δ-hypercentral, then every prime ideal P of A is classically localizable. The aim of this article is to show that under some additional hypotheses on the Δ-prime ideals of R, the local ring A _P is regular in the sense of Robert Walker. We use this result to study the catenarity of A and to compute the numbers μ _i of Bass. Let g be a nilpotent Lie algebra of finite dimension n acting on R by derivations and U(g) the enveloping algebra of g. Then the crossed product of R by U(g) is an iterated differential operator k-algebra as above. In this particular case, our results are known if k has characteristic zero.