Pseudo-rank functions on crossed products of finite groups over regular rings (Q1063094)

Let R*G be a crossed product with G finite. If R is a von Neumann regular ring and \(| G|^{-1}\in R\), then R*G is also regular. This paper discusses the relationship between the pseudo-rank functions of R and of R*G. To start with, it is shown that a pseudo-rank function P of R is extendable to one of R*G if and only if P is G-invariant. Furthermore when this occurs, then the natural map \(\phi\) from R to \(\bar R,\) its completion with respect to the P-metric, extends to a map \(\phi\) : R*G\(\to \bar R*G\). Here \(\bar R*\)G is a crossed product uniquely determined by this situation. In a different direction, suppose that R is a directly finite, left self-injective, regular ring. Then it is shown that R*G is of Type \(II_ f\) if and only if R is of Type \(II_ f\). A final section contains applications of these results to the relationship between R and its fixed subring \(R^ G\) under the action of a finite group G of automorphisms.