Ideal structure of Clifford algebras (Q1027958): Difference between revisions

The author investigates the ideal structure of Clifford algebras over the field of real numbers. The case of Clifford algebras associated to finite-dimensional non-degenerate real quadratic forms is well understood, see e.g. \textit{C. Chevalley} [The algebraic theory of spinors. New York: Columbia University Press (1954; Zbl 0057.25901)]. However the author allows the quadratic form to be degenerate and of countably infinite dimension. Consider a real vector space \(V\) with basis \((e_\lambda)_{\lambda \in \Lambda}\) where \(\Lambda = \Lambda_{1}\cup \Lambda_{-1} \cup \Lambda_0\subseteq \mathbb{N}_0\) is a disjoint union of (possibly infinite) sets of non-negative integers. Let \(f:V\to \mathbb{R}\) be the quadratic form which is diagonal with respect to the given basis of \(V\) such that \(f(e_{\lambda})=\varepsilon\) for \(\lambda \in \Lambda_\varepsilon, \varepsilon\in \{1,-1,0\}\). The Clifford algebra of \((V,f)\) depends up to isomorphism only on the cardinalities \(p=|\Lambda_{1}|\), \(q=|\Lambda_{-1}|\) and \(z=|\Lambda_0|\) and is denoted by \(C(p,q,z)\). These infinite-dimensional real Clifford algebras were investigated first by \textit{G. B. Wene} [``The Clifford algebra of an infinite-dimensional space'', J. Math. Phys. 30, No.~2, 249--251 (1989; Zbl 0679.15027)]. The author describes (two-sided) ideals in \(C(p,q,z)\). These are either contained in the nilradical \(\mathcal{R}\) of \(C(p,q,z)\) when \(C(p,q,0)\) is simple (which happens in particular when \(p+q\) is infinite) or decompose as \(I=J\oplus (I\cap \mathcal{R})\) where \(J\) is one of the nontrivial ideals of \(C(p,q,0)\). Further all prime ideals of \(C(p,q,z)\) are determined and it is shown that these are precisely the maximal ideals of \(C(p,q,z)\). In particular the Jacobson radical is equal to the nilradical \(\mathcal{R}\). The author goes on to prove that \(C(p,q,z)\) is only Artinian (or Noetherian) when \(p,q\) and \(z\) are finite. Lastly it is shown that all nilpotent ideals of \(C(p,q,z)\) are finitely generated.