On a class of primary algebras of minimal rank (Q1063670)

Let k be an infinite field. By a k-algebra A is understood a finite- dimensional, associative, unitary algebra over k. \(A^*\) denotes the k- dual of A. The rank of A, is the natural number \[ R(A)=\min \{r\in N| \quad \exists u_ h,v_ h\in A^*,\quad w_ h\in A\quad \forall a,b\in A:\quad ab=\sum^{r}_{h=1}u_ h(a)v_ h(b)w_ h\}. \] It is known that R(A)\(\geq 2\dim A-t\), where t is the number of maximal two-sided ideals of A. A is said to be of minimal rank iff \(R(A)=2\dim A- t\). A is said to be a primary k-algebra if A has a unique maximal ideal \((=rad A):\) thus A is either local, i.e. A/rad A is a k-division algebra, or A is quasilocal, i.e. A/rad A is simple but not a k-division algebra. By \(M_ k\) is denoted the class of all primary k-algebras A with the property: There exist k-bases \((1,x_ 2,...,x_ n)\), \((1,y_ 2,...,y_ n)\) of A such that \(\forall i,j\) \(x_ iy_ j\in kx_ i+ky_ j\). The authors prove: 1) A local k-algebra A is in \(M_ k\) iff A is of minimal rank; 2) A quasilocal k-algebra is in \(M_ k\) iff \(A\cong k^{2\times 2}\). Also the authors give some characterizations of local k-algebras of minimal rank. As an application the authors investigate the ranks of the 5-dimensional local algebras over an algebraically closed field k, char(k)\(\neq 2\).