Automorphic orbits in free non-associative algebras (Q5949419)

Let \(A\) denote a free finitely generated algebra in one of the following three varieties of (non-associative) algebras over a field \(F\): all algebras, all commutative algebras (in which case char \(F\neq 2\)), all anti-commutative algebras. A system of elements of \(A\) is said to be primitive if it is contained in some set of free generators of \(A\). The main results of the paper give algorithmically decidable criteria which allow one to verify whether or not a given finite system of elements of \(A\) is primitive. The authors also prove that if an endomorphism \(\varphi\) of \(A\) sends every primitive element to a primitive element then \(\varphi\) is in fact an automorphism (Theorem~6). The main technical tool is the calculus of partial derivatives in \(A\).