The maximal symmetric ring of quotients (Q1907163)

The maximal symmetric ring of quotients \(Q_\sigma(R)\) is a symmetric version of the maximal ring of quotients of \(R\). This ring is analogous to the symmetric Martindale ring of quotients, but it is much more difficult to compute. The paper under review begins by briefly studying \(Q_\sigma(R)\) for general rings. It shows, for instance, that \(Q_\sigma\) is a closure operator so that \(Q_\sigma(R)\) is always \(\sigma\)-closed. The bulk of the paper, however, is devoted to computing this ring of quotients for various group algebras and crossed products. To start with, a number of surprising examples of groups \(G\) are offered with group algebras \(K[G]\) which are not \(\sigma\)-closed. These include separated groups, certain polycyclic groups, and infinite finitary permutation groups. On the other hand, the main results of this paper go in the opposite direction. Specifically, let \(G\) be a nontrivial free product of groups and assume that \(K[G]\) is a domain. Then it is shown here that if (i) \(K[G]\) is a 2-fir, or (ii) \(G\) is a free product of an infinite number of nontrivial groups, or (iii) one of the factors of \(G\) has a nontrivial homomorphic image which is an ordered group, or (iv) one of the factors of \(G\) has a nontrivial homomorphic image which is an infinite poly Abelian-by-finite group, then \(K[G]\) is \(\sigma\)-closed. The proofs of the latter results are quite difficult. They require a detailed analysis of factorization and essential one-sided ideals in group algebras of free products. In addition, they require showing that the symmetric maximal ring of quotients of certain crossed products can be embedded in Malcev-Neumann rings.