Hypercentral derivations (Q1330077)

Define generalized commutators for a ring \(R\) by \([x,y]_ 1 = xy - yx\) and for \(k > 1\) set \([x,y]_ k = [[x,y]_{k - 1},y]\), where \(x,y \in R\). The author proves that if \(R\) has no nonzero nil ideal and has a derivation \(D\) satisfying \([D(x^ n),x^ n]_ k = 0\) for \(k \geq 1\), all \(x\in R\), and \(n = n(x) \geq 1\), then the Utumi quotient ring \(U\) of \(R\) contains a central idempotent \(e\) so that \(D(eU) = 0\) and \((1 - e)U\) is commutative. Furthermore, if \(R\) contains no nonzero nil left ideal, then one can allow \(k = k(x)\). When \(R\) is also a prime ring, then for either assumption about nil ideals, either \(D = 0\) or \(R\) is commutative.