Maps characterized by action on zero products. (Q1764370)

We say that a map \(\theta\) from a ring \(A\) into a ring \(B\) preserves zero products if \(xy=0\) in \(A\) implies \(\theta(x)\theta(y)=0\). A simplified version of the main result of this interesting paper states that if \(A\) and \(B\) are unital prime rings, \(A\) contains a nontrivial idempotent, and \(\theta\colon A\to B\) is a bijective additive map that preserves zero products and satisfies \(\theta(1)=1\), then \(\theta\) is a ring isomorphism. In the more general version there is no assumption on identity elements, but the statement is then more technical. Similar results are obtained for derivations, i.e. they are characterized via the condition \(xy=0\) implies \(d(x)y+xd(y)=0\).