Nilpotent Moufang unit loops (Q1355561)

Let \(R\) be a commutative and associative ring with unity, and let \(L\) be a loop such that the loop ring \(RL\) is alternative, i.e. the identities \(x(xy)=x^2y\) and \((yx)x=yx^2\) hold in \(RL\). Then the loop of units \({\mathcal U}(RL)\) of \(RL\) is necessarily a Moufang loop. A loop \(L\) is an RA loop if the loop ring is alternative, but not associative for all associative commutative rings \(R\) with unity. If \(L\) is a loop and \(R\) is a field or the ring \(\mathbb{Z}\) of rational integers necessary and sufficient conditions for the nilpotency of \({\mathcal U}(RL)\) are known. Since loop rings over RA-loops behave very similarly to group rings, it is natural to seek for analogous conditions on the unit loop of an alternative loop algebra. In fact, the authors' results are very similar to those for group rings: (1) Let \(F\) be a field of characteristic \(p>0\), and let \(L\) be an RA loop containing an element of order \(p\). Then \({\mathcal U}(RL)\) is nilpotent if and only if \(p=2\). (2) Let \(F\) be a field of characteristic \(p\geq 0\), and let \(L\) be an RA loop with torsion subloop \(T\) which, if \(p>0\), contains no elements of order \(p\). Then \({\mathcal U}(RL)\) is nilpotent if and only if either \(T\) is central, or \(|F|=p=2^\beta-1\) for some positive integer \(\beta\), \(T\) is an abelian group of exponent \(2(p-1)\), and, for all \(x \in L\) and all \(t\in T\), we have \(x^{-1}tx=t\) or \(t^p\).