Minimal identities for right-symmetric algebras (Q1972032): Difference between revisions

Right-symmetric algebras satisfy the identity \((a,b,c)=(a,c,b)\), where \((a,b,c):=a\circ (b\circ c)-(a\circ b)\circ c\) and \((a,b)\mapsto a\circ b\) denotes the multiplication. Examples are the associative matrix algebra, or the Witt algebras \(W_n\) in characteristic \(p\geq 0\). Right-symmetric algebras correspond to left-symmetric algebras arising in the theory of affine manifolds and convex homogeneous cones, via \(a\circ b \mapsto b\circ a\). The matrix algebra satisfies the standard polynomial identity of degree \(2n\), \[ \sum_{\sigma \in \mathcal S_{2n}}\text{sign}(\sigma) a_{\sigma(1)}\cdots a_{\sigma(2n)}=0 \] and does not satisfy any polynomial identity of degree less than \(2n\). This is the Amitsur-Levitzki theorem. In this paper the author establishes, among other things, an analogue of this theorem for the right-symmetric Witt algebras of rank \(n\). They satisfy the standard right-symmetric identity of degree \(2n+1\), \[ \sum_{\sigma \in \mathcal S_{2n}}\text{sign}(\sigma)a_{\sigma(1)}\circ (a_{\sigma(2)}\circ \cdots \circ (a_{\sigma(2n)}\circ a_{\sigma(2n+1)}) \cdots)=0, \] and again this degree is minimal. Moreover for \(p\neq 2\), the space of minimal left polynomial identities with \(k\) variables has dimension \(k\binom{k}{2n}\), i.e., has dimension \((2n+1)^2\) for \(k=2n+1\). Hence all left polynomial identities of the right-symmetric Witt algebras of minimal degree follow from the left standard right-symmetric identity, if \(p\neq 2\).