On maps preserving square-zero matrices. (Q2386071)

The center place of this paper occupies the description of maps preserving square-zero matrices over unital commutative rings. In order to get the result for matrix algebras over commutative rings, the authors need a new tool -- the theory of functional identities. They provide in Section 3 the essential information on functional identities which is needed in this paper. Using functional identities, they prove a key result which describes an additive map preserving equal Jordan products on a Lie ideal. As an application, they prove in Section 4 the main theorem that a surjective linear map preserving square-zero elements in a Lie ideal of a matrix ring must be a scalar multiple of the sum of a homomorphism and an antihomomorphism.