Commutators of trace zero matrices over principal ideal rings (Q1618113)

Let \(\mathfrak{gl}_n(R)\) denote the Lie algebra of \(n\times n\) matrices over a principal ideal ring \(R\) with usual Lie bracket, and \(\mathfrak{sl}_n(R)\) be the subalgebra of traceless matrices. \textit{A. A. Albert} et al. [Michigan Math. J., No. 1, 1--3 (1957; Zbl 0077.24304)] proved that if \(R\) is a field then every element of \(\mathfrak{sl}_n(R)\) is a commutator in \(\mathfrak{gl}_n(R)\). The main result of this paper is that for any principal ideal domain \(R\) and every \(A\in \mathfrak{sl}_n(R)\), with \(n\geq3\), there exist \(X,Y\in \mathfrak{sl}_n(R)\) such that \(A=[X,Y]\). The authors also prove that the matrix \(X\) can be chosen such that \(X_{\mathfrak{p}}\) is \(\mathfrak{gl}_n(R/\mathfrak{p})\)-regular for every maximal ideal \(\mathfrak{p}\) of \(R\), and moreover, \(X\) can be chosen such that \(X_{\mathfrak{p}}\) is \(\mathfrak{sl}_n(R/\mathfrak{p})\)-regular for every \(\mathfrak{p}\) such that \(A_{\mathfrak{p}}\) is not scalar. The authors note also that, as done in [\textit{A. Stasinski}, Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 368, No. 4, 2333--2354 (2016; Zbl 1392.15047)], similar results can be obtained for any principal ideal ring.