Primitivity of Noetherian Down-Up Algebras (Q4487367)

For a field \(K\) and elements \(\alpha,\beta,\gamma\in K\), the down-up algebra \(A(\alpha,\beta,\gamma)\), introduced by \textit{G. Benkart} and \textit{T. Roby} [J. Algebra 209, No. 1, 305-344 (1998; Zbl 0922.17006)], is the \(K\)-algebra generated by \(u\) and \(d\) subject to the relations \(d^2u=\alpha dud+\beta ud^2+\gamma d\) and \(du^2=\alpha udu+\beta u^2d+\gamma u\). In certain motivating examples, the generators \(d\) and \(u\) act as ``down'' and ``up'' operators on the vector space \(\mathbb{C} P\) for a partially ordered set \(P\). The first author, \textit{I. M. Musson} and \textit{D. S. Passman} [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 127, No. 11, 3161-3167 (1999; Zbl 0940.16012)], have shown that \(A(\alpha,\beta,\gamma)\) is Noetherian if and only if \(\beta\neq 0\). In the present paper the authors give a necessary and sufficient condition for a Noetherian down-up algebra to be primitive. The condition is stated in terms of the center of \(A(\alpha,\beta,\gamma)\) and the roots of the quadratic equation \(x^2-\alpha x-\beta=0\). The same result, though stated differently, was proved independently by the reviewer [J. Algebra 228, No. 1, 311-346 (2000; Zbl 0958.16030)].