On subgroups of \(GL_ 2\) over Banach algebras and von Neumann regular rings which are normalized by elementary matrices (Q2644773)

For a large class of rings A, including all commutative rings, all Banach algebras and all von Neumann regular rings those subgroups N of \(GL_ n(A)\) which are normalized by \(E_ n(A)\), the subgroup generated by the elementary matrices, have been completely classified, when \(n\geq 3\). Such a subgroup N is known to be ``sandwiched'' between a pair of canonical subgroups of \(GL_ n(A)\) each of which is determined by a (single) unique A-ideal. From the very complicated normal subgroup structure of \(SL_ 2({\mathbb{Z}})\) it is clear that a satisfactory classification of the above type will not in general carry over to the case where \(n=2\). For anything like such a classification to hold for \(n=2\) it appears that the ring A has to contain ``many units''. In this paper the authors have classified the normal subgroups of \(E_ 2(A)\), where A is a von Neumann regular ring or a Banach algebra. When A is a von Neumann regular ring the classification is similar to the above type and involves A-ideals. When A is a Banach algebra the classification is again similar to the above type but in this case it involves the quasi-ideals of A. (By definition every ideal is always a quasi-ideal and there are rings with quasi-ideals which are not ideals. However for the case of a von Neumann regular ring the authors show that every quasi- ideal is an ideal.)