On generalized stable rings (Q4953299)

The first stable range condition for a ring \(R\) can be given as follows: \(ax+b=1\) in \(R\) implies there exists \(y\in R\) such that \(a+by\in\text{GL}_1(R)\). The author weakens this condition by replacing \(\text{GL}_1(R)\) with the set \(K(R)=\{k\in R\mid skt=1\) for some \(s,t\in R\}\). He defines \(R\) to be a generalized stable ring provided \(ax+b=1\) in \(R\) implies there exists \(y\in R\) such that \(a+by\in K(R)\), and proves analogs of a number of known facts concerning stable range \(1\). For example, the endomorphism ring of a module \(A\) is a generalized stable ring if and only if for any module decompositions \(M=A_1\oplus B_1=A_2\oplus B_2\) with \(A_i\cong A\), there exist decompositions \(M=C\oplus D\oplus B_1=C\oplus E\oplus B_2\) with \(C\cong A\). (Stable range \(1\) for \(\text{End}(A)\) is equivalent to an implication as above with \(C=D=0\).) If \(R\) is generalized stable, the natural map \(\text{GL}_1(R)\to K_1(R)\) is an epimorphism. Turning to a (von Neumann) regular ring \(R\), the author proves that \(R\) is generalized stable if and only if every element of \(R\) has a quasi-inverse in \(K(R)\), analogous to the fact that \(R\) has stable range \(1\) if and only if \(R\) is unit-regular. Finally, he shows that if \(R\) is a generalized stable regular ring and \(A\in M_n(R)\), there exist \(P,Q\in K(M_n(R))\) such that \(PAQ\) is diagonal.