Extremely noncommutative elements in rings. (Q2481342)

Let \(R\) be an associative algebra over a commutative ring \(K\) with 1 and \(E_K(R)\) be the set of all elements \(a\in R\) such that the centralizer of \(a\) in \(R\) is the subalgebra \(aK[a]\) generated by \(a\). The authors prove the following main results: i) if \(R\) is a \(K\)-algebra and \(E_K(R)=R\setminus\{0\}\) then \(F=K/\text{Ann}_KR\) is a field and \(R\) is isomorphic to either \(F\), or \(\left(\begin{smallmatrix} 0&F\\ 0&0\end{smallmatrix}\right)\), \(\left(\begin{smallmatrix} F&F\\ 0&0\end{smallmatrix}\right)\), \(\left(\begin{smallmatrix} F&0\\ F&0\end{smallmatrix}\right)\); ii) if \(R\) is an infinite ring in which every noncentral element is in \(E_Z(R)\) then \(R\) is a commutative ring; iii) if \(R\) is a finite noncommutative ring in which every noncentral element is in \(E_Z(R)\) then either \(R\) is nilpotent or \(R\) is isomorphic to \(\left(\begin{smallmatrix}\text{GF}(p)&\text{GF}(p)\\ 0&0\end{smallmatrix}\right)\), \(\left(\begin{smallmatrix}\text{GF}(p)&0\\ \text{GF}(p)&0\end{smallmatrix}\right)\).