A note on minimal generators of hereditary radicals (Q1086327)

A class M is a minimal generator for a radical P if P is the lower radical (LM) of M and of no smaller class. It is shown that \(P=LM\) has a minimal generator if every \(R\in M\) is Baer lower radical, has a minimal ideal modulo the lower Baer radical, or is a ring for which every accessible subring is a direct sum of copies of R. On the other hand, several conditions are established for radicals not admitting a minimal generator, including: If a hereditary radical H contains an accessible subring of Z, Z[x], \(Z[[ x]]\) or \(Z_{(p)}\) for any prime p, then H does not have a minimal generator. Thus the Jacobson radical does not have a minimal generator.