Graded linear maps on superalgebras (Q2142480)

The author considers associative superalgebras over a field \(F\) of characteristic 0. Recall an associative algebra is just a \(\mathbb{Z}_2\)-graded algebra. The author studies generalisations of the notion of an involution to the superalgebra case. A superinvolution on \(A=A_0\oplus A_1\) is a linear map \(*\) that respects the grading, \((a^*)^*=a\), and satisfies \((ab)^*= (-1)^{|a|\cdot |b|} b^*a^*\) for every homogeneous \(a\) and \(b\in A\); here \(|x|\) equals 0 for \(x\in A_0\), and \(|x|=1\) whenever \(x\in A_1\). A pseudoinvolution \(*\) on \(A\) is a graded linear map on \(A\) such that \((a^*)^*=(-1)^{|a|} a\) and \((ab)^*= (-1)^{|a|\cdot |b|} b^*a^*\) for every homogeneous elements \(a\) and \(b\). A graded involution on \(A\) is an involution that respects the grading on \(A\). The author shows how these three notions relate to each other. Thus he proves that if \(A\) is a superalgebra such that \(A_1\) is nilpotent then every superinvolution gives rise, in a natural way, to a graded involution, and vice versa. Pseudoinvolutions and graded involutions are related in a similar way, no restriction on \(A\) is needed. As a consequence the pseudoinvolutions on \(UT_n\), the upper triangular \(n\times n\) matrices over \(F\), are classified. (One requires that the equation \(x^2=-1\) has a solution in \(F\).) By using the above relations the author finally describes a way to relate the polynomial identities with a pseudoinvolution and those with a graded involution on a superalgebra.