Non-finiteness of twisted nils (Q1012409)

Let \(R\) be a ring with \(1\). The Bass nil groups, \(NK_1(R)\) of \(R\), are defined by \[ NK_1(R):=\ker(\varepsilon_*:K_1(R[t])\to K_1(R)), \] where \(\varepsilon_*\) is induced by the augmentation: \(t\mapsto 0\) and \(K_1(R)\) stands for the algebraic \(K\)-theory groups of \(R\). A classical result by \textit{F. T. Farrell} [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 65, 215--216 (1977; Zbl 0365.18021)] states that this Nil group is not finitely generated when it is not trivial. Similar Nil groups appear in the study of twisted polynomial rings \(R_\alpha[t]\) where \(\alpha:R\to R\) is a ring automorphism. This twisted polynomial ring is defined additively as the usual polynomial ring but the multiplication is twisted by \(\alpha\), namely: \((rt^i)(st^j)=r\alpha^{-i}(s)t^{i+j}\) for all \(r,s\in R\). The twisted Nil groups that appear in this case are denoted by \(NK^\alpha_1(R)\). The author extends Farrell's result to the twisted case: Let \(R\) be a ring with \(1\) and \(\alpha:R\to R\) be a ring automorphism of finite order. Then the twisted nil group \(NK^\alpha_1(R)\) is not finitely generated if it is not trivial.