Coordinates in two variables over a $\mathbb {Q}$-algebra (Q4452258)

Let \(R\) be a commutative ring. A polynomial \(f_1\in R[X]:=R[X_1,\dots,X_n]\) is called a coordinate if there exist \(f_2,\dots,f_n\in R[X]\) such that \(R[X]:=R[f_1,\dots,f_n].\) The problem how to recognize coordinates is fundamental in the study of polynomial automorphisms (for instance in the jacobian conjecture). There are known solutions of this problem in the case \(R\) is a field. The authors study this problem in many aspects in the case \(R\) is a \(\mathbb Q\)-algebra and \(n=2.\) The main results concern the following aspects: 1. criteria for \(f \in R[X,Y]\) to be a coordinate (in terms of derivation \(f_y\partial _x-f_x\partial _y\) in \(R[X]\) and in terms of residual polynomial rings \(k_{\mathfrak p}[X,Y]\) over the fields \(k_{\mathfrak p}\) for \(\mathfrak p\in {\text{Spec}}(R)),\) 2. conditions (for a given \(f \in R[X_1,X_2]\)) for an equivalence between the property of being a coordinate in \(R[X_1,X_2]\) and in \(S[X_1,X_2,\dots,X_n]\), where \(S\) is a ring extension of \(R\), 3. criteria for an \(R\)-endomorphism of \(R[X,Y]\) which sends linear coordinates to coordinates to be an \(R\)-automorphism, 4. generalizations of the famous Abhyankar-Moh theorem on the embedding of the line into the plane to the case when the field of coefficients is replaced by a commutative \(\mathbb Q\)-algebra, 5. partial results concerning coordinates in more than two variables.