Moufang Unit Loops Torsion Over Their Centres (Q4547882)

An RA loop is a loop whose loop ring \(RL\) in any characteristic is alternative, but not associative. If \(L\) is a Moufang loop such that also \(RL\) is Moufang, then \(L\) is an RA loop. For an RA loop, the set \({\mathcal U}(RL)\) of units in \(RL\) is also a Moufang loop. Thus it is interesting to compare the properties of \(L\) and \({\mathcal U}(RL)\). The authors find necessary and sufficient conditions for the unit loop of \(RL\) to be torsion over its centre when \(R\) is the ring of rational integers or an arbitrary field. They obtain the following results: (1) Let \(L\) be an RA loop with torsion subloop \(T\). Then the following conditions are equivalent: (a) \({\mathcal U}(\mathbb{Z} L)\) is torsion over its centre, \({\mathcal Z}({\mathcal U}(\mathbb{Z} L))\). (b) \(T\) is an Abelian group or a Hamiltonian Moufang 2-loop and, if \(x\in L\) does not centralize \(T\), then \(x^{-1}tx=t^{-1}\). (c) \({\mathcal U}(\mathbb{Z} L)\) is torsion of bounded exponent 2 over \({\mathcal Z}({\mathcal U}(\mathbb{Z} L))\). (d) \({\mathcal U}(\mathbb{Z} L)\) is nilpotent. Now assume \(K\) is a field and \(L\) is an RA loop with torsion subloop \(T\) such that \({\mathcal U}(KL)\) is not torsion. Then the results (2) and (3) hold: (2) For a field \(K\) of characteristic \(0\) the following conditions are equivalent: (a) \({\mathcal U}(KL)\) is torsion over its centre. (b) \(T\) is central. (c) \({\mathcal U}(KL)\) is torsion of exponent 2 over its centre. (d) \({\mathcal U}(KL)\) is torsion of bounded exponent over its centre. (3) Assume \(K\) is a field of positive characteristic \(p\neq 2\). Let \(P\) and \(A=T_{p'}\) denote the sets of \(p\)- and \(p'\)-elements in \(T\), respectively. Then \({\mathcal U}(KL)\) is torsion over its centre if and only if \(T\) is an Abelian group, every idempotent of \(KT\) is central in \(KL\), and, if \(T\) is not central, \(K\) is algebraic over its prime field. Moreover, the following are equivalent: (a) \({\mathcal U}(KL)\) is torsion of bounded exponent over its centre. (b) \(T\) is Abelian, there exists an \(a\) such that \(x^{p^a}\) is central for all \(x\in\Delta(L,P)\) and either \(T\) is central and \({\mathcal U}(KL)\) has exponent \(2p^a\) over its centre, or \(K\) is finite, \(A^m=\{1\}\) for some \(m\) and \({\mathcal U}(KL)\) has exponent \(2rp^a\) over its centre for a well-defined \(r\). (4) Let \(K\) be a field of characteristic 2. Then \({\mathcal U}(KL)\) is torsion of bounded exponent 2 over its centre.