Finite-dimensional non-associative algebras and codimension growth (Q544140)

For an associative algebra \(A\) with polynomial identity the classical theorem of Regev gives that the codimension sequence \(c_n(A)\), \(n=1,2,\ldots\), is exponentially bounded. A more recent theorem of two of the authors of the paper under review [\textit{A. Giambruno} and \textit{M. Zaicev}, Adv. Math. 140, No. 2, 145--155 (1998; Zbl 0920.16012)] shows that over a field of characteristic 0 the exponent of the algebra \(\exp(A)=\lim_{n\to\infty}\root{n}\of{c_n(A)}\) exists and is an integer. The picture is different if the algebra is not associative. Even for good classes of algebras the growth of the codimension sequence may be over-exponential or sub-exponential, and the exponent, if it exists, may be not integral. In the paper under review the authors study finite-dimensional (not necessarily associative) algebras over a field of characteristic zero. They assume that such an algebra \(A\) has a special non-degenerate bilinear form \(\langle x,y\rangle=\text{tr}(\alpha(x,y))\), where \(\alpha(x,y)\) is a linear combination of homogeneous products of second degree of left and right multiplications by \(x,y,xy\) or \(yx\). The paper shows that \(A\) shares a lot of properties typical for associative PI-algebras. The first main result gives that if \(A\) is simple, then \(\exp(A)=\dim(A)\). In particular, this holds for simple Jordan and alternative algebras. The next result states that for arbitrary finite-dimensional Jordan and alternative algebras \(A\) the exponent \(\exp(A)\) exists and again is an integer. Hence, the codimension sequence grows either exponentially or polynomially. As in the associative case, the exponent can be expressed in terms of the dimension of a specific subalgebra of \(A\). One of the main tools which is of independent interest is the construction in the free non-associative algebra of multilinear polynomials which are alternating in several sets of variables and do not vanish on the algebra \(A\).