Filtrations and distortion in infinite-dimensional algebras. (Q536022)

This paper studies arbitrary (i.e., not necessarily associative) algebras over a field. A tame filtration on such an algebra is a filtration \(A=\bigcup_{i\geq 1}A_i\) such that there is a positive integer \(c\) such that \(\dim A_n<c^n\) for all \(n\). For example, given a finite generating set \(X\) of an associative unital algebra \(A\), one has the associated `degree filtration' for which \(A_i\) is the linear span of all monomials in \(X\) of degree at most \(i\). This filtration is tame. -- Given an algebra \(A\) and a subalgebra \(B\), the restriction of any (tame) filtration of \(A\) to \(B\) is a (tame) filtration. In this paper the authors prove the following: 1) For associative algebras and Lie algebras, a filtration on an algebra \(B\) is tame if and only if it is equivalent to the restriction of a degree filtration on a \(2\)-generated algebra \(A\) in which \(B\) is embedded as a subalgebra. 2) Under the same assumptions, a filtration on \(B\) is tame if and only if this filtration coincides with the restriction of a degree filtration on some finitely generated algebra \(A\) in which \(B\) is embedded as a subalgebra. 3) For associative algebras, which are finitely generated over the prime subfield, a constructive filtration on a unital algebra \(B\) is tame if and only if it is equivalent to the restriction of a degree filtration on a finitely presented algebra \(A\) in which \(B\) is embedded as a subalgebra. A subalgebra \(B\) of an algebra \(A\) is embedded without distortion if a degree filtration on \(B\) is equivalent to the restriction to \(B\) of a degree filtration of \(A\). The authors show, in particular, that all finitely generated subalgebras of finitely generated commutative algebras are embedded without distortion; that all finitely generated subalgebras in free Lie algebras of finite rank are embedded without distortion; that all finitely generated associative and Lie algebras can be embedded without distortion in a simple \(2\)-generator associative and Lie algebra, respectively.