Lie properties in associative algebras (Q2659128)

The aim of the paper is to investigate certain properties of the Lie algebra associated with an associative algebra over a field \(K\). The first result is an interesting finding, and it parallels the fact that the matrix algebra \(M_n(K)\) is generated as an associative algebra by two elements. The authors show that there are two matrices in \(M_n(K)\) generating \(M_n(K)\) as a Lie algebra. Next, given an associative \(K\)-algebra \(R\) and a subset \(H\) of \(R\), an ascending chain of subalgebras of \(R\) is constructed as \(k\)-fold Lie centralizers of \(H\). Properties of these subalgebras are presented and a very interesting open problem related to the nilpotency index of the subalgebra generated by a Lie nilpotent subspace of a certain index is addressed. In the last part, some technique developed in [\textit{J. Szigeti} and \textit{L. van Wyk}, Am. Math. Mon. 124, No. 10, 966--968 (2017; Zbl 1391.15041)] is used for presenting a unitary approach for a constructive description of ring automorphisms and anti-automorphisms of \(M_n(K)\).