Derivations on multilinear polynomials in semiprime rings (Q4934113)

The main result of the authors concerns a 2-torsion free semiprime algebra \(R\) over a commutative ring \(K\) with \(1\), and \(f(x_1,\dots,x_n)\in K[x_1,\dots,x_n]\) a nonzero multilinear polynomial. If \(D\) is a nonzero derivation of \(R\) so that \([D(f(r_1,\dots,r_n)),f(r_1,\dots,r_n)]\) is zero or invertible in \(R\) for all \(r_j\in R\), then either \(R\) is a division ring, for all \(r_j\in R\) \(f(r_1,\dots,r_n)\) is central, or for all \(r_j\in R\) \([f(r_1,\dots,r_n),r_{n+1}]D(R)=0\). A consequence is that when \(R\) is prime and \([D(y),y]\) is zero or invertible for every \(y\in L\), a noncentral Lie ideal of \(R\), then \(R\) is a division ring.