The minimum number of idempotent generators of a complete blocked triangular matrix algebra (Q1969480)

Let \(R\) be a complete blocked triangular matrix ring over a field \(F\). The main aim is to find the minimum number \(v(R)\) of idempotents which generate \(R\) as an \(F\)-algebra. For each positive integer \(i\) let \(m_i\) denote the number of \(i\times i\) diagonal blocks in \(R\), and suppose that \(F\) has more than \(m_i\) elements for all \(i\geq 2\). Suppose also that \(R\) is neither a full nor a triangular matrix ring over \(F\) (which forces the underlying matrices of \(R\) to have size at least \(3\times 3\)). Then \(v(R)=\text{Max}(3\), the next integer up from \(\log_2(m_1))\). The presence of the ``3'' in this formula is related to the fact that \(R\) involves triangular matrices of size at least \(3\times 3\) and so can not satisfy the standard polynomial identity \(S_4=0\), from which it follows that \(R\) can not be generated by two idempotents; and the part involving \(\log_2(m_1)\) is related to the fact that it takes that number of idempotents to generate the direct sum of \(m_1\) copies of \(F\) as an \(F\)-algebra. The proof, not surprisingly, is rather technical and in particular involves establishing criteria for recognizing when a subalgebra of \(R\) is actually the whole of \(R\). It is also shown that \(R\) can always be generated by two elements, and if \(m_1=0\) then \(R\) can be generated by an idempotent and a nilpotent element.