On the normal subgroups of SL(2,A) (Q1108385)

Let A be a commutative ring with unity, GL(n,A) the group of invertible \(n\times n\) matrices with coefficients in A, SL(n,A) its subgroup of matrices T with det T\(=1\), E(n,A) the subgroup of SL(n,A) generated by elementary matrices, U(N) the group of all upper triangular matrices contained in the subgroup N of GL(n,A), D(N) the group of all diagonal matrices contained in N. For any ideal J of A let SL(n,A,J) be the group of all matrices \(T\in SL(n,A)\) with \(T\equiv I (mod J)\), \(\ell (N)\) the smallest ideal modulo which every element of N (where N is a subset of GL(n,A)) is scalar, L(n,A,J) the group of all matrices \(T\in SL(n,A)\) with \(\ell (T)\subset J\), H(J) the group which is generated by elements of the type \(s^{-1}t^{-1}st\) where \(s\in E(2,A)\), \(t\in L(2,A,J)\), vn(J) the ideal generated by the image of J under the map \(x\to x^ 3- x.\) In the paper under review under some conditions the structure of the normal subgroups of SL(2,A) is given. The main results are the following. Theorem 1. Let J be a von Neumann regular ideal in the commutative ring A (i.e. \(c^ 2A=cA\) for every \(c\in J)\) and let N be the subgroup of SL(2,A) with \(\ell (N)=J\). Then N is normal in SL(2,A) if and only if H(J)\(\subseteq N\). If N is a normal subgroup of SL(2,A) then \(N=H(J)U(N)\). - Theorem 2. Let A be an \(SR_ 2\)-ring with 1/2\(\in A\) and suppose N is a subgroup of SL(2,A) with \(\ell (N)=J\). Then N is normal in SL(2,A) if and only if H(J)\(\subseteq N\). If N is normal, then \(N=H(J)U(N)\). - Theorem 3. Let A be an \(SR_ 2\)-ring with 1/2\(\in A\). Then there is a 1-1 correspondence between normal subgroups of SL(2,A) and triples (J,P,G) where J is an ideal in A, P is an additive subgroup of J containing vn(J), and G is a subgroup of the group of units of A such that \(\{\) \(u|\) u is a unit in A and \(u\equiv 1(mod J)\subseteq G\subseteq \{u|\) u is a unit in A and \(u^ 2\equiv 1(mod J).\) Furthermore two theorems on the normal structure of GL(2,A) are proved. Theorem 4. Let A be an \(SR_ 2\)-ring with 1/2\(\in A\) and let M be a subgroup of GL(2,A) with \(\ell (M)=J\). Then M is normal in GL(2,A) if and only if H(J)\(\subseteq M\) and there exists an ideal \(J_ 0\subseteq J\) such that \(\ell (D(M))\subseteq J_ 0\) and \(M=H(J)SL(2,A,J_ 0)D(M)\). - Theorem 5. Let A be an \(SR_ 2\)-ring with 1/6\(\in A\) let M be a subgroup of GL(2,A) with \(\ell (M)=J\). Then M is normal in GL(2,A) if and only if \(M=SL(2,A,J)D(M)\).