\(GL^{\pm{}}_ n(R)\) is 5-reflectional (Q1187131)

Let \(R\) be a commutative ring with one in its stable range. The author shows that any square matrix \(\pi\) of determinant \(\pm 1\) over \(R\) is a product of five involutions (he knows of no example where more than four are needed). Indeed, let \(R\) be a local ring whose residue field has at least \(n+2\) elements. Then four involutions suffice when \(\pi\) is not scalar modulo the maximal ideal. Any such \(\pi\) of determinant one is a commutator in \(Sl(n,R)\). The proof involves a version of the factorization theorem of \textit{A. R. Sourour} [Linear Multilinear Algebra 19, 141-147 (1986; Zbl 0591.15008)] that is interesting in its own right.