Minimal algebras with respect to their *-exponent. (Q2466939)

Block-triangular algebras play an important role in the study of PI algebras. They appear naturally in the description of the so-called minimal varieties of associative algebras. The paper under review studies algebras over a field \(F\) of characteristic 0. Let \((A_1,\dots,A_m)\) be finite dimensional simple algebras with involution. Here ``'simple'' means without \(*\)-ideals where \(*\) is the corresponding involution. The authors construct a block-triangular algebra with involution, \(R=UT_*(A_1,\dots,A_m)\), such that each \(A_i\) can be embedded in \(R\). The construction of \(R\) is natural but quite long and that is why we do not recall it here. The first main result of the paper under review consists in describing the \(*\)-identities of \(R\) in terms of those of \(A_i\). It turns out that the ideal of the \(*\)-identities of \(R\) is the intersection of the products of those of the \(A_i\)'s first read from left to right and then on the opposite. It is known that the sequence of the \(n\)-th roots of the \(n\)-th \(*\)-codimensions of \(A\) converges to an integer \(e(A)\) called the \(*\)-exponent of \(A\). An algebra \(A\) with involution is \(*\)-minimal if for each finite dimensional algebra \(B\) whose \(*\)-ideal is strictly contained in that of \(A\), then \(e(B)<e(A)\). The second major result in the paper under review consists in proving that every \(*\)-minimal algebra satisfies the same \(*\)-identities as some \(UT_*(A_1,\dots,A_n)\). Moreover, the authors prove that when either \(m=1\) or each \(A_i=F\) then \(R\) is \(*\)-minimal as well. Thus if \(A\) is \(*\)-simple finite dimensional then \(A\) is \(*\)-minimal.