An analogue of the Duistermaat-van der Kallen theorem for group algebras. (Q424147)

Let \(RG\) be the group ring of a group \(G\) over an integral domain \(R\) and let \(V(R,G)\) be the \(R\)-subspace of \(RG\) whose coefficient of the identity element of \(G\) is equal to zero. In this paper the authors investigate the problem under what conditions on \(R\) and \(G\) the \(R\)-subspace \(V(R,G)\) is a Mathieu subspace of \(RG\). Recall that an \(R\)-subspace of an associative \(R\)-algebra \(A\) over a commutative ring \(R\) is a left (resp., right; two-sided) Mathieu subspace of \(A\) if for any \(a,b,c\in A\) with \(a^m\in M\) for all \(m\geq 1\) there exists \(N\geq 1\) such that \(ba^m\in M\) (resp., \(a^mb\in M\); \(ba^mc\in M\)) for all \(m\geq N\); [see \textit{W. Zhao}, J. Algebra 350, No. 1, 245-272 (2012; Zbl 1255.16018)]. The main result of the paper assorts that if \(G\) is a finite group and \(R\) is a commutative ring such that the integer \((|G|-1)!\) is invertible in \(R\), then \(V(R,G)\) is a Mathieu subspace of \(RG\). In particular, when \(R\) is an integral domain with \(\text{char\,}R=0\) or \(\text{char\,}R=p\geq|G|\), then \(V(R,G)\) is a Mathieu subspace of \(RG\). More details are obtained when \(G\) is a finite Abelian group and \(R\) is an integral domain with positive characteristic. Let \(G=\mathbb Z^n\) (\(n\geq 1\)) be a free Abelian group and \(R\) be an integral domain with positive characteristic. Then, the authors show that \(V(R,G)\) is not a Mathieu subspace of \(RG\). Since \(RG\) in this case is a Laurent polynomial ring in \(n\) variables over \(R\), the above result shows that the theorem of \textit{J. J. Duistermaat} and \textit{W. van der Kallen} [Indag. Math., New Ser. 9, No. 2, 221-231 (1998; Zbl 0916.22007)] can not be generalized to any field of characteristic \(p>0\).