Hulls of semiprime rings with applications to \(C^*\)-algebras. (Q731217)

For a given ring \(R\), neither the injective hull \(E(R_R)\) of \(R_R\) nor the maximal right ring of quotients \(Q(R)\) of \(R\) provides us with an overlying structure which allows for an effective transfer of some types of information between \(R\) and itself. But, there exists clear disparity between \(R\) and \(Q(R)\). It was this kind of disparity that motivated us to consider rings from a ``distinguished'' class that are intermediate between the base ring \(R\) and \(Q(R)\) or \(E(R_R)\). Such an intermediate ring \(T\) from a distinguished class possesses the (desirable) properties that identify the class, and since it is ``intermediate'' it is generally closer to \(R\) than either \(Q(R)\) or \(E(R_R)\). Hence there is some hope that the desirable properties of the specific class and the closeness of \(T\) to \(R\) will enable a significant transfer of information. Usually this information transfer can be enhanced by: (1) choosing a distinguished class that generalizes some property (or properties) or is related to the class of right self-injective rings; (2) finding (if it exists) a ``minimal'' element (right ring hull) from the distinguished class; or (3) finding (if they exist) elements of the distinguished class that are ``minimally'' generated by \(R\) and some subset of \(E(R_R)\) (pseudo right ring hull). In the paper under review, the authors use the general approach and the theory of ring hulls introduced earlier [\textit{G. F. Birkenmeier, J. K. Park} and \textit{S. T. Rizvi}, J. Algebra 304, No. 2, 633-665 (2006; Zbl 1161.16002)] to focus on ring hulls belonging to the class of quasi-Baer rings or the class of right FI-extending rings and investigate \(R\mathbf B(Q (R))\). Let \(R\) be an associative ring with unit. The authors investigate and determine ``minimal'' right essential overrings belonging to certain classes which are generated by \(R\) and subsets of the central idempotents of \(Q(R)\), where \(Q(R)\) is the maximal right ring of quotients of \(R\). It is shown the existence of and characterization of a quasi-Baer hull and a right FI-extending hull for every semiprime ring. Their results include: (i) \(R\mathbf B(Q(R))\) (i.e., the subring of \(Q(R)\) generated by \(\{re\mid r\in R\) and \(e\in\mathbf B(Q(R))\}\), where \(\mathbf B(Q(R))\) is the set of all central idempotents of \(Q(R)\)) is the smallest quasi-Baer and the smallest right FI-extending right ring of quotients of a semiprime ring \(R\) with unity. In this case, various overrings of \(R\mathbf B(Q(R))\), including all right essential overrings of \(R\) containing \(\mathbf B(Q(R))\), are also quasi-Baer and right FI-extending; (ii) lying over, going up, and incomparability of prime ideals, various regularity conditions, and classical Krull dimension transfer between \(R\) and \(R\mathbf B(Q(R))\); and (iii) the existence of a boundedly centrally closed hull for every \(C^*\)-algebra and a complete characterization for an intermediate \(C^*\)-algebra between a \(C^*\)-algebra \(A\) and its local multiplier \(C^*\)-algebra \(M_{\text{loc}}(A)\) to be boundedly centrally closed.