Functional identities and rings of quotients (Q513734)

Let \(R\) be a prime ring of degree \(\deg R\geq d\), it is well known that \(R\) is a \(d\)-free set of its maximal (left) ring of quotients \(Q_{ml}(R)\). (The exact definitions are given in the paper, there is a small misprint in that of the degree: on page 1443, line \(-2\) of the paper it should read \(\deg(R)=\sup\{\deg(t)\mid t\in R\}\).) Denote further \(Q_{ms}(R)\) the maximal symmetric ring of quotients and by \(Q_s(R)\) the symmetric Martindale ring of quotients. The main result of the paper is a very general theorem which we will not state here in order not to introduce a lot of terminology. Instead we list several of the corollaries to the theorem which are of significant interest. 1. If \(R\) is prime and \(\deg(R)\geq d\geq 1\) then \(R\) is \(d\)-free for \(Q_s(R)\). 2. If \(R\) is prime and \(R=Q_s(R)\) (such \(R\) are called symmetrically closed) then \(\deg R\geq d\geq 1\) implies that \(R\) is \(d\)-free. 3. The free associative algebra in at least two free generators is \(d\)-free for each \(d\geq 1\). 4. If \(R\) is prime and \(\deg R\geq d\geq 1\) then \(R\) is a \(d\)-free subset of \(Q_{ms}(R)\). Furthermore the author shows that (2) above fails if one weakens ``symmetricaly closed'' to ``centrally closed'' prime rings. Also (4) fails if one takes the symmetric Martindale ring of quotients \(M_s(R)\) instead of \(Q_{ms}(R)\), the maximal symmetric ring of quotients. Once again the author proves a more general fact (Proposition 4.1) and deduces from it these examples.