A triviality criterion for \(\mathbb{A}^2\)-fibrations over a ring containing \(\mathbb{Q}\) (Q288505)

Let \(R\) be a commutative ring with \(1\neq 0\) and let \(R^{[n]}\) denote the polynomial ring over \(R\) in \(n\) variables. For \(p\in \mathrm{Spec}(R)\) let \(k(p)\) denote the residue field of \(p.\) An \(R\)-algebra \(A\) is said to have an \( \mathcal{A}^{n}\)-fibration over \(R\) if \(A\) is finitely generated and flat and if for every \(p\in \mathrm{Spec}(R)\) we have \(k(p)\otimes A\cong k(p)^{[n]}.\) An \( \mathcal{A}^{n}\)-fibration \(A\) over \(R\) is stably trivial if for some \(m\in N,\) the set of positive integers, we have \(A^{[m]}=R^{[m+n]}\) and trivial if \(A=R^{[n]}.\) Call an \(R\)-derivation \(d\) on \(A\) locally nilpotent if for each \(a\in A,\) there is \(m\in N\) such that \(d^{m}(a)=0\) and fixed point free if \( d(A)=A.\) The authors of the paper under review showed in [J. Algebra 372, 480--487 (2012; Zbl 1276.14089)] that a stably trivial \(\mathcal{A}^{2}\)-fibration over a factorial ring \(R\) containing \(Q\) the field of rational numbers is trivial if and only if \(A\) has a fixed point free locally nilpotent \(R\)-derivation. This result gets generalized in the paper under review to a commutative ring \(R\) containing \(Q\) as Theorem 3.1 of the paper: Let \(R\) be a ring containing \(Q\) and let \(A\) be a stably trivial \(\mathcal{A}^{2}\)-fibration over \(R\). Then \(A \) is trivial if and only if it has a fixed point free locally nilpotent \(R\) -derivation. The paper is well-written and very readable, keeps in full perspective the earlier work and makes good use of it.