Krull dimension of generalized Weyl algebras and iterated skew polynomial rings: Commutative coefficients (Q1271894)

Let \(R\) be a ring with an automorphism \(\sigma\), and let \(a\) be a central element of \(R\). The generalized Weyl algebra (of degree 1), \(T=R(\sigma,a)\), is the ring generated by \(R\) and the indeterminates \(X\) and \(Y\), subject to the relations \(Xr=\sigma(r)X\) and \(Yr=\sigma^{-1}(r)Y\) for all \(r\in R\); \(YX=a\) and \(XY=\sigma(a)\). A large number of interesting algebras can be represented in this way, for example, the first Weyl algebra \(A_1\), the universal enveloping algebra \(\text{U}(sl(2))\) and its quantum deformations, Witten's and Woronowicz's deformations, the quantum Heisenberg algebra, etc. Assuming the ring \(R\) of coefficients to be commutative Noetherian with (classical) Krull dimension \({\mathcal K}(R)<\infty\), the authors calculate the Krull dimension (in the sense of P. Gabriel and R. Rentschler) of \(T\) as \({\mathcal K}(T)=\sup\{{\mathcal K}(R),\text{ht}(P)+1,\text{ht}(Q)+1\}\), where \(Q\) is a \(\sigma\)-semistable prime ideal of \(R\), that is, \(\sigma^n(Q)=Q\) for some integer \(n\), and where \(P\) is \(\sigma\)-unstable (that is, \(\sigma^n(P)\neq P\) for all \(n\)) with \(a\in\sigma^i(P)\) for infinitely many integers \(i\). This extends a result of \textit{T. J. Hodges} [Commun. Algebra 12, 1301-1310 (1984; Zbl 0538.16020)] for skew Laurent polynomial extensions of commutative Noetherian rings. The above formula, the proof of which occupies most of the paper, is then applied to compute the Krull dimensions of many of the algebras mentioned above. The result of \textit{S. P. Smith} [J. Algebra 71, 189-194 (1981; Zbl 0468.17003)] that \({\mathcal K}(\text{U}(sl(2,\mathbb{C})))=2\) is recovered as a particular corollary.