Inner derivations of higher orders (Q1058580)

A family of mappings \(d_ n:R\to R\), \(n=0,1,...,s\), is called a derivation of order \(s\) if (1) \(d_ n\) is additive, (2) \(d_ n(ab)=\sum_{i}d_ i(a)d_{n-i}(b)\), and (3) \(d_ 0=\text{id}\). In this paper the author develops the corresponding notion of inner derivation of order \(s\) and derives from this a ring structure on a direct product of the Abelian group of \(R\), as well as the automorphism \(\exp(d)\) on \(R\) for a derivation \(d\) of order \(s\). He then proves results about such inner derivations of order \(s\), which are analogous to the results about classical derivations and inner derivations. Typical of such are: a criterion on d being inner (in this extended sense) in terms of \(\exp(d)\); the theorem that the family of such inner derivations forms a normal subgroup; and a theorem relating classical inner derivations with inner derivations of higher order. This paper is interesting for people wishing to generalize the notion of derivations.