Simple regular rings satisfying weak comparability (Q1175721)

A longstanding open question in the theory of (von Neumann) regular rings is whether every simple regular ring \(R\) which is directly finite (i.e., all one-sided units are two-sided) must be unit-regular (i.e., for each \(x\in R\) there is a unit \(u\in R\) such that \(xux=x\)). Positive answers have been obtained in some cases, e.g., in case \(R\) satisfies relatively strong comparability conditions on principal right ideals [\textit{D. Handelman} and the reviewer, J. Pure Appl. Algebra 7, 195-216 (1976; Zbl 0321.16009)], and in case the center of \(R\) is uncountable and all matrix rings over \(R\) are directly finite [\textit{P. Menal} and the reviewer, J. Pure Appl. Algebra 54, No. 2/3, 261-287 (1988; Zbl 0653.16013)]. In general, every unit-regular ring is directly finite [\textit{M. Henriksen}, Arch. Math. 24, 133-141 (1973; Zbl 0257.16015)], while examples of Bergman (cf. the reviewer's book [Von Neumann Regular Rings, London, Pitman (1979; Zbl 0411.16007)]) and others show that not all directly finite regular rings are unit-regular. In the present paper, the author shows that \(R\) is unit-regular provided it satisfies the following weak comparability condition: for each nonzero \(y\in R\) there is a positive integer \(n\) such that whenever \(x\in R\) and the direct sum of \(n\) copies of \(xR\) embeds in \(R\), then \(xR\) embeds in \(yR\). (No examples are known of directly finite simple regular rings which fail to satisfy this condition.) The method of proof is to show that every element of \(R\) is a product of idempotents; unit-regularity then follows easily. This approach is based on previous work on products of idempotents in regular rings by the author [Glasg. Math. J. 28, 143-152 (1986; Zbl 0615.16009)] and by \textit{J. Hannah} and the author [J. Algebra 123, No. 1, 223-239 (1989; Zbl 0673.16007)]. Weak comparability follows in particular from weak comparability with respect to a rank function \(N\), meaning that for each nonzero \(y\in R\) there is a positive real number \(\varepsilon\) such that whenever \(x\in R\) and \(N(x)<\varepsilon\), then \(xR\) embeds in \(yR\). In the final section of the paper, weak comparability with respect to a rank function is related to the geometry of the simplex \(\mathbb{P}(R)\) of all pseudo-rank functions on \(R\).