On semiperfect associative pairs (Q4934116)

Different equivalent definitions have been given for semiperfect rings. It is very well known that a ring \(R\) is said to be semiperfect when the quotient ring \(R/\text{Rad} R\) is artinian and idempotents can be lifted modulo \(\text{Rad} R\). A similar definition is given by the authors for semiperfect associative pairs. The main result of the paper under review gives some equivalent conditions for \(A\) to be a semiperfect associative pair. So they prove that \(A\) is a semiperfect associative pair if and only if one of the following two conditions holds: (i) \(A\) contains a frame and \(A/\text{Rad} A\) is unital; (ii) \(A/\text{Rad} A\) is unital and every irreducible right \(A\)-module is isomorphic to \(eA/e\text{Rad} A\) for some idempotent \(e\) in \(A\). Modules over associative pairs were introduced in [\textit{J. A. Cuenca Mira, A. García} and \textit{C. Martín}, Commun. Algebra 17, 2595-2610 (1989; Zbl 0694.17001)]. Sections 2-4 are devoted to the study of some aspects of this theory and the lift of idempotents. The main result leads to some interesting consequences. So it is proved that a unital ring \(R\) is semiperfect if and only if the associative pair \((R,R)\) is semiperfect and that homomorphic images of semiperfect pairs are semiperfect. Also it is shown that semiperfectness is inherited by \((11)\) and \((00)\) Peirce submodules, that local pairs are semiperfect and that semiperfect commutative associative pairs are exactly the finite product of commutative local pairs and a radical pair.