On the automorphisms of incidence algebras (Q5942811)

If \(T_n(R)\) is the ring of \(n\times n\) upper triangular matrices over a ring \(R\) with identity and if \(R\) is a \(k\)-algebra over a commutative ring with 1 then according to Koppinen, a \(k\)-automorphism \(\psi\) of \(T_n(R)\) is the composition of an inner automorphism and an induced \(k\)-automorphism of \(R\) iff \(\psi\) fixes the set of strictly upper triangular matrices (i.e., the diagonal elements are zero), along with other results of a similar nature. Now, a related structure is the incidence algebra of a locally finite poset \(X\) over a ring with identity \(R\), denoted \(I(X,R)\) and automorphism group \(\Aut(I(X,R))\). A sequence of lemmas leads to generalization of Koppinen's theorem: If \(X=\bigcup_{k\in K}X_k\) is a locally finite poset with (disjoint) components \(X_k\), \(R\) is a ring with identity, \(\phi\in\Aut(I(X,R))\), then there is a \(\gamma\in\Aut(X)\), \(T_k\) is an inner automorphism of \(I(X,R)\), and \(\Theta=\{\alpha_k\in \Aut(R)\mid k\in K\}\) such that \(\phi=\overline\gamma t_k\widehat\Theta\) iff \(\phi\) is a special automorphism. Here \(\phi\) is a special automorphism (defined in a more complicated fashion) iff \(\phi(Z(I(X,R)))=Z(I(X,R))\), i.e., the center is \(\phi\)-invariant when \(R\) is an indecomposable ring with identity (indecomposability is necessary). Using the ``generalization'' another proof of Koppinen's original theorem is also given along with several other nice results.