CS matrix rings over local rings (Q1398152)

A ring \(R\) is right CS if every right ideal is essential in a right ideal which is a direct summand of \(R\). In general the \(n\times n\) matrix ring \(M_n(R)\) is right CS for some \(n>1\) only if \(R\) satisfies fairly strong conditions; for instance, if \(R\) is a commutative integral domain, then this happens if and only if \(R\) is a Prüfer domain. From now on \(R\) denotes a local ring (i.e. \(R/J(R)\) is a division ring) which is not necessarily commutative. It is shown that \(M_n(R)\) is right CS for some \(n>1\) if and only if \(M_2(R)\) is right CS, and this is also equivalent to \(R\) being almost right self-injective (a condition which is defined in terms of right ideals and module homomorphisms). If \(J(R)\) is nil then ``almost right self-injective'' can be replaced by ``right self-injective''. A particular case of another result is that if \(R\) is a commutative Noetherian local ring then \(M_n(R)\) is right CS for some \(n>1\) if and only if the classical quotient ring \(Q\) of \(R\) is a local QF ring such that for all \(q\in Q\) either \(q\in R\) or \(q\) is a unit of \(Q\) with \(q^{-1}\in R\). The final section gives some applications to group algebras. For instance, let \(K\) be a field and let \(G\) be a group such that \(KG\) is local; then \(M_n(KG)\) is right CS for some \(n>1\) if and only if \(K\) has positive characteristic \(p\) and \(G\) is a finite \(p\)-group.