On the construction of Sylvester domains (Q1841852)

Sylvester domains are rings which satisfy Sylvester's law of nullity for the inner rank: \(r(A)+r(B)\leq n\) for any matrices \(A\), \(B\) of type \(m\times n\) and \(n\times r\) such that \(AB=0\). The purpose of the paper is to find conditions for a coproduct to be a Sylvester domain. The main result in this line is the following: Let \(A\) be a commutative principal ideal domain and let \((R_i)\) be a family of \(A\)-algebras that are integral extensions of \(A\), i.e. that are faithful as \(A\)-algebras and such that each element satisfies a monic equation over \(A\). Then the coproduct \(*_AR_i\) is faithful and is a Sylvester domain. The case of coproducts over a skew field was studied by \textit{W.~Dicks, E. D.~Sontag} [J. Pure Appl. Algebra 13, 243-275 (1978; Zbl 0393.16002)]. It was shown there that if \(R_1\) and \(R_2\) are Sylvester domains with a common subfield \(K\), then \(R_1*_KR_2\) is a Sylvester domain. In the present paper, the author proves that the universal field of fractions of this coproduct is also the universal field of fractions of the coproduct of the universal fields of fractions of \(R_1\) and \(R_2\). The case where the ring \(A\) is an Ore domain is also studied: If \(R_1\), \(R_2\) are left integral extensions of degree~\(2\) of a right Ore domain \(A\), then the coproduct \(R_1*_AR_2\) is shown to be a right Ore domain. In the particular case where \(A\) is a commutative principal ideal domain and \(R_1\), \(R_2\) are commutative, it follows that the coproduct \(R_1*_AR_2\) is a left and right Ore Sylvester domain. An example shows that this coproduct may fail to be a principal ideal domain.