On the structure of alternative bimodules over semisimple Artinian algebras (Q2225881)

An algebra \(A\) over a ring of scalars \(\Phi\) is said to be alternative if for all \(x,y\in A\), \(x^2y=x(xy)\) and \(yx^2=(yx)x\). By Artin's Theorem, it is well known that an algebra \(A\) is alternative if and only if any subalgebra of \(A\) generated by two elements is associative. A bimodule over an alternative algebra \(A\) is a \(\Phi\)-module \(M\) with two bilinear maps \(A\times M\to M\) and \(M\times A\to M\) such that \(E:=M\oplus A\), as a \(\Phi\)-module, with product \((m_1+a_1)(m_2+a_2):=m_1a_2+a_1m_2+a_1a_2\) has the structure of an alternative algebra. In the paper under review the authors study bimodules over semisimple artinian alternative algebras and they prove that any bimodule over a simple artinian alternative algebra which is not an associative division algebra is almost reducible. Moreover, they give an example of an alternative bimodule over a field, which is not almost reducible.