Potent preservers of incidence algebras (Q2062820)

Let \(X\) be a finite connected poset, and let \(I(X,F)\) be the associated incidence algebra over a field \(F\). The main aim of the paper is to determine the bijective linear maps \(\varphi:I(X,F)\rightarrow I(X,F)\) which take idempotent elements to idempotents. If \(\mathrm{char}(F)\neq 2\), such a \(\varphi\) is either an automorphism or an anti-automorphism of the algebra \(I(X,F)\). If \(\mathrm{char}(F)= 2\) and \(|F|>2\), such a \(\varphi\) is a composition of an inner automorphism and a certain kind of Lie automorphism of \(I(X,F)\). If \(|F|=2\), then such a \(\varphi\) is a composition of a bijective shift map and a Lie automorphism of \(I(X,F)\). Under certain conditions on \(F\), the authors use this result to determine bijective linear maps \(\varphi:I(X,F)\rightarrow I(X,F)\) which preserve \(k\)-potent elements, i.e. elements \(a\) such that \(a^k=a\), where \(k\geq 3\).