Subalgebras of matrix algebras generated by companion matrices. (Q962101)

Let \(f, g\) in \(\mathbb{Z}[X]\) be monic polynomials of degree \(n\) and \(C,D\) in \(M_n(\mathbb{Z})\) be the corresponding companion matrices. The authors find necessary and sufficient conditions for the subalgebra \(\mathbb{Z}\langle C,D\rangle\) to be a sublattice of finite index in the full integral lattice \(M_n(\mathbb{Z})\). Section 5 gives necessary and sufficient conditions for \(C\) and \(D\) to generate \(M_n(R)\), while Section 8 determines how they do it. If \(R\) is a unique factorization domain, Section 9 exhibits a presentation of \(R(C,D)\), proves it to be a free \(R\)-module, and computes its rank. In Section 11 they find the exact index of \(\mathbb{Z}(C,D)\) in \(M_n(\mathbb{Z})\) and extend this result to other number rings. The index is obtained by means of a determinantal identity, found in Section 10. Section 6 proves that \(R[C,D]=R\langle C,D\rangle\). A more detailed discussion of this is given in Section 7.