Lie isomorphisms in prime rings with involution (Q1336475)

Let \(R\) and \(R'\) be prime rings with involutions of the first kind with respective Lie subrings of skew elements \(K\) and \(K'\). The main result states that if \((RC:C) \neq 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 64\), where \(C\) is the extended centroid of \(R\), and the characteristic of \(R\) and \(R'\) is different from 2 and 3, then any Lie isomorphism of \(K\) onto \(K'\) can be uniquely extended to an associative isomorphism of \(\langle K\rangle\) onto \(\langle K'\rangle\), the associative subrings generated by \(K\) and \(K'\), respectively. In particular, this settles a long standing open problem of \textit{I. N. Herstein} [Bull. Am. Math. Soc. 67, 517-531 (1961; Zbl 0107.027)] concerning Lie automorphisms of skew elements of a simple ring with involution. In a paper of \textit{W. S. Martindale} [Commun. Algebra 4, 929-977 (1976; Zbl 0354.16005)] a similar theorem on Lie isomorphisms of \([K,K]\) onto \([K',K']\) has been obtained; however, the existence of idempotents satisfying certain conditions has been required. In the case when \(R\) is a GPI ring (that is, it satisfies a generalized polynomial identity) the main result follows from this theorem. The bulk of the proof is devoted to the case when \(R\) is not a GPI ring. Assuming this, the authors first characterize trilinear mappings \(B:K^ 3 \to K\) satisfying \([B(x,x,x),x] =0\) for every \(x \in K\). Since every Lie isomorphism \(\alpha\) of \(K\) onto \(K'\) certainly satisfies \([\alpha(x^ 3), \alpha(x)] = 0\), this characterization can be applied to prove that \(\alpha(x^ 3) = \alpha(x)^ 3\) for every \(x \in K\). It turns out that this identity is precisely the criterion for lifting \(\alpha\) to an isomorphism of \(\langle K\rangle\) onto \(\langle K'\rangle\).