A combinatorial commutativity property for rings (Q1607880)

Let \(n\geq 1\) be a fixed integer. A ring \(R\) is said to be a \(Q_n\)-ring if it has the \(Q_n\)-property: \(xS=Sx\) for all \(x\in R\) and all \(n\)-subsets \(S\) of \(R\). In this paper the \(Q_n\)-rings are studied. The main results are presented in the following theorem: Let \(n\geq 1\) be an integer and \(R\) be a ring. If \(R\) verifies one of the following conditions then \(R\) is commutative. (i) \(R\) is infinite; (ii) \(R\) has \(1\) and \(|R|>n\); (iii) \(R\) has \(1\) and \(n\leq 8\); (iv) \(n\leq 4\); (v) \(n>4\) and \(|R|>2n-2\); (vi) \(n>4\), \(n\) even and \(|R|>2n-4\). Rings with similar kinds of properties, namely the \(P_n\)-rings and the \(P_\infty\)-rings have been previously studied by H. E. Bell and, respectively by H. E. Bell and A. A. Klein. A ring \(R\) is a \(P_n\)-ring (resp. \(P_\infty\)-ring) if \(XY=YX\) for all \(n\)-subsets (resp. infinite subsets) of \(R\).