On the *-minimality of algebras with involution. (Q2268600)

Let \(A\) be an algebra with involution \(*\) over a field \(F\) of characteristic 0, and denote by \(T_*(A)\) the ideal of the \(*\)-identities for \(A\). Recall here that \(T_*(A)\) is an ideal in the free associative algebra with involution, \(F\langle X,*\rangle\). In analogy with the case of ordinary polynomial identities one defines \(P_m(*)\) to be the vector space of all multilinear polynomials of degree \(m\) in \(F\langle X,*\rangle\). (If the free generators of \(F\langle X,*\rangle\) are \(x_i\) and \(x_i^*\), \(i=1,2,\dots\), then \(P_m(*)\) is the span of all multilinear monomials of degree \(m\) in \(x_i\), \(x_i^*\), \(1\leq i\leq m\).) In order to study the \(*\)-identities for \(A\) it suffices to describe \(P_m(*)\cap T_*(A)\) for all \(m\). In fact the latter vector space tends to become very large when \(m\to\infty\). Thus one is led to consider the quotient \(P_m(A,*)=P_m(*)/(P_m(*)\cap T_*(A))\). Still this turns out to be extremely difficult. On the other hand the \(*\)-codimension sequence \(c_m(A,*)=\dim P_m(A,*)\) provides useful information about the \(*\)-identities of \(A\). It is well known that \(c_m(A,*)\) is exponentially bounded (and in this way one justifies the above remark about the size of \(P_m(*)\cap T_*(A)\)). Furthermore if \(A\) is finite dimensional then \(c_m(A,*)^{1/m}\) converges as \(m\to\infty\) and its limit is always an integer, called the \(*\)-exponent \(\exp(A,*)\). It is clear that \(T_*(A)\subseteq T_*(B)\) implies \(\exp(A,*)\geq\exp(B,*)\). The finite dimensional algebra \(A\) is called minimal if for every \(B\), \(\dim B<\infty\), such that \(T_*(A)\subset T_*(B)\) implies \(\exp(A,*)>\exp(B,*)\). Minimal algebras with involution were studied in \textit{O. M. Di Vincenzo} and \textit{R. La Scala} [J. Algebra 317, No. 2, 642-657 (2007; Zbl 1138.16008)]. In that paper the authors introduced certain block-triangular matrix algebras \(R=UT_*(A_1,\dots,A_n)\) where the \(A_i\) are either full matrix algebras \(M_d(F)\) with an involution (orthogonal or symplectic), or \(M_d(F)\oplus M_d(F)^{op}\), with the exchange involution. Moreover the authors of that paper conjectured that a finite dimensional algebra \(A\) with involution is minimal if and only if it satisfies the same \(*\)-identities as an appropriate algebra \(UT_*(A_1,\dots,A_n)\). The ``only if'' part was proved in the above cited paper. In the paper under review the authors study the ``if'' part of the conjecture. More precisely they prove that it holds whenever \(n=2\). Also they prove that if the \(T_*\)-ideal of \(UT_*(A_1,\dots,A_n)\) coincides with the product of the \(T_*\)-ideals of the \(A_i\) then the conjecture holds as well.