Some skew linear groups associated with Lie algebras of characteristic zero (Q1118696)

Let F be a field of characteristic 0, L is a Lie F-algebra of finite dimension over F, and U the universal enveloping algebra of L. It is well-known that U is a Noetherian domain so its division ring D of quotients exists. Lichtman (1984) discovered some important properties of finitely generated subrings of D; on this base he obtained a number of results on abstract structure of finitely generated linear groups over D. The author refines Lichtman's approach. The main point of this refinement is the following theorem. Theorem. Let R be a finitely generated subring of D and \(X\subset R\) a finite subset. Then for all but a finite set of primes q depending on X (i) there exists an ideal b of R with R/b a finite semisimple ring of characteristic q such that \(\cap_ ib^ i=\{0\}\) and the natural projection of R onto R/b is one-to-one on X and (ii) there exists an ideal \(c\subset R\) with R/c isomorphic to a subring of the division ring of quotients of the eveloping algebra of a Lie algebra of dimension equal to that of L over a finite field of characteristic q such that \(\cap_ ic^ i=\{0\}\) and the natural projection of R onto R/c is one-to-one on X. Further arguments very similar to one for linear groups over fields lead to structure results of finitely generated linear groups over D. For example if G is such a group then G is (a) torsion-free by finite; (b) has a normal subgroup of finite index which is residually a finite q- group for all but a finite number of primes q; (c) finite provided G is periodic; (d) nilpotent provided G is nilpotent; (e) the derived length of G is bounded if G is solvable; (f) solvable-by-finite if G contains no free subgroups of rank 2. The second part of the paper under review studies finitely generated linear groups over D whose finite images are nilpotent groups.