Free division rings of fractions of crossed products of groups with Conradian left-orders (Q2178804)

Let \(F\) be a division ring, and let \(G\) be a group. It is a very interesting problem to determine when a crossed product of \(F\) by \(G\), in the paper denoted by \(F[G, \nu, \alpha]\) (where \(\nu\) and \(\alpha\) refer to the structural maps defining the crossed product), can be embedded into a division ring \(D\), and also to determine whether such \(D\) satisfies some uniqueness property. The paper under review deals with this second question for the case of locally indicable groups or, equivalently, for left ordered groups with a Conradian left order [\textit{S. D. Brodskij}, Sib. Math. J. 25, 235--251 (1984; Zbl 0579.20020); translation from Sib. Mat. Zh. 25, No. 2(144), 84--103 (1984)]. This paper builds a bridge between the theory of Hughes-free embeddings and some constructions by N.~Dubrovin to embed crossed products into division rings. Both theories have been growing in an independent way and producing very interesting results, so it was really necessary to put them in a common framework as it is done here. Let us also mention that this paper partly relies on previous work by \textit{F. Jakobs} [Dubrovin-rings and their connection to Hughes-free skew fields of fractions. Potsdam: Universität Potsdam (Dissertation) (2019)]. To further explain the results in the paper it is useful to have some terminology at hand. If \(R\) is a ring embedded into a division ring \(D\) then the division ring of fractions of \(R\) (inside \(D\)) is the minimal subdivision ring of \(D\) that contains \(R\). Moreover, \(D\) is a division ring of fractions of \(R\) if \(D\) is already minimal. A group \(G\) is locally indicable if any non-trivial finitely generated subgroup of \(G\) has an infinite cyclic quotient. Let \(R=F[G, \nu, \alpha]\) be a crossed product with \(G\) locally indicable. The property on \(G\) implies that for any non-trivial finitely generated subgroup \(H\) of \(G\) the subring of \(R\), \(F[H, \nu, \alpha]\), is isomorphic to a skew Laurent polynomial ring over \(S=F[N, \nu, \alpha]\), where \(N\) is a subgroup of \(H\). \textit{I. Hughes} introduced the notion of Hughes-free division ring of fractions [The embedding of group-rings in division rings. Oxford: Oxford University (PhD Thesis) (1961); Commun. Pure Appl. Math. 23, 181--188 (1970; Zbl 0214.05401)], which essentially ensures that if \(R\) has a Hughes-free division ring of fractions \(D\) then the local skew Laurent polynomial structure of \(R\) extends nicely inside \(D\). One of Hughes main results ensures that if \(R\) has a Hughes-free division ring of fractions then it must be unique. Hughes results and their proofs were revisited by \textit{W. Dicks} et al. [Commun. Algebra 32, No. 3, 1127--1149 (2004; Zbl 1084.16018)] and by \textit{J. Sánchez} [On division rings and tilting modules. Barcelona: Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (PhD Thesis) (2008)]. A new and elegant proof of Hughes theorems is also given in the final section of the paper under review. Classically, Hughes-free embeddings are interesting because if \(G\) is an ordered group (hence, locally indicable) then the rational closure of \(R=F[G, \nu, \alpha]\) into the ring of Malce'v-Neumann power-series is a Hughes-free division ring of fractions. Recently, \textit{A. Jaikin-Zapirain} and \textit{D. López-Álvarez} [Math. Ann. 376, No. 3--4, 1741--1793 (2020; Zbl 1481.20093)] have shown that when \(F\) is a commutative field then \(F[G, \nu, \alpha]\) always has a Hughes-free division ring of fractions. At the moment of writing this review, it is still an open problem to see whether the same result holds for crossed products over arbitrary division rings (the reader is asked to disregard the final Remark in the paper under review). \textit{P. A. Linnell} [Lond. Math. Soc. Lect. Note Ser. 330, 40--59 (2006; Zbl 1123.16016)] introduced the notion of strongly Hughes-free division ring of fractions, defined for any class of groups. Linnell showed that, in the case of locally indicable groups, strongly Hughes-free implies Hughes-freenes but it was an open question to see whether the converse was true. In the paper under review, a new notion of freeness is introduced for division ring of fractions of crossed product with groups that are Conrad left orderable. The notion relies on the Conradian order defined over the group and, roughly speaking, it is Linnell's definition restricted to convex jumps. The main result in the paper shows that, for locally indicable groups, the three notions of free division ring of fractions coincide. To better explain this result, we need to introduce a further element: Dubrovin's construction of a rational over-ring of a crossed product. For any left ordered group \(G\) one can consider the endomorphism ring \(S\) of the vector space \(F((G))\) of power series with coefficients in \(F\) (that is, maps \(G\to F\) with well-ordered support). In a brilliant series of papers (see references [Math. Notes 42, No. 3--4, 781--786 (1987; Zbl 0653.16005); translation from Mat. Zametki 42, No. 4, 508--518 (1987); Russ. Acad. Sci., Sb., Math. 79, No. 2, 1 (1993; Zbl 0828.16028); translation from Mat. Sb. 184, No. 7, 3--48 (1993); Russ. Acad. Sci., Sb., Math. 79, No. 2, 1 (1993; Zbl 0828.16028); translation from Mat. Sb. 184, No. 7, 3--48 (1993); Sb. Math. 191, No. 7, 955--971 (2000; Zbl 0978.16042); translation from Mat. Sb. 191, No. 7, 13--30 (2000); Algebr. Represent. Theory 6, No. 1, 33--45 (2003; Zbl 1017.16020)]), \textit{N. I. Dubrovin} proved that a crossed product \(R=F[G, \nu, \alpha]\) can be embedded in such ring and studied the rational closure of \(R\) in \(S\). Dubrovin's constructions have already provided very nice results on embedding of crossed products into division rings. The paper under review completes a further step showing that, in the case of locally indicable groups, if the crossed product \(R\) has a Hughes-free division ring of fractions then it coincides with Dubrovin's ring of fractions. Finally, let us remark that one of the main tools in the paper under review is the notion of complexity of elements in a ring with respect to a subset introduced by \textit{N. I. Dubrovin} et al. [Algebr. Represent. Theory 6, No. 1, 33--45 (2003; Zbl 1017.16020)] and further developed here. This is a well written, quite self-contained paper, whose reading is strongly recommended for anyone interested in the embedding of crossed products of groups into division rings.