Prime quotients of Jordan systems and Lie algebras (Q5964370)

An ideal \(I\) of an (associative, alternative, Lie or Jordan) system is said to be semiprime, prime, nondegenerate or strongly prime if the quotient system \(R/I\) is semiprime, prime, nondegenerate or strongly prime. Similar notions apply also to \(\ast\)-ideals of associative systems with involution~\(\ast\). Extending a result from \textit{K. I. Beĭdar} and \textit{A. V. Mikhalev} [J. Sov. Math. 47, No. 3, 2525--2536 (1989; Zbl 0683.17016); translation from Tr. Semin. Im. I. G. Petrovskogo 12, 59--74 (1987)] proved that quotient algebras of nondegenerate alternative algebras by prime ideals remain nondegenerate. Aimed by these results, the main purpose of this paper is to show that although an analogous result cannot be achieved for general Jordan systems and Lie algebras, it still holds for certain Jordan systems and Lie algebras (assuming in this case that the ring of scalars contains \(1/2\)) closely linked to associative systems. More precisely, for those Jordan systems (algebras, pairs or triple systems) of the form \(H_0(R,\ast)\), that is ample subspaces of associative systems with involution \((R,\ast)\), it follows from the characterization of their (semi)prime ideals obtained via the second Herstein's construction, that semiprime (resp. prime) ideals of \(H_0(R,\ast)\) are nondegenerate (resp. strongly prime) and therefore that prime quotients of \(H_0(R,\ast)\) are nondegenerate. These results extend then straightforwardly to Jordan systems \(R^{(+)}\) obtained as symmetrizations of an associative system \(R\). In case of Lie algebras \(\mathrm{Skew}(R, \ast)\) of skew elements of an associative algebra with involution \((R,\ast)\) and that of Lie algebras of the form \(R^{(-)}\) (reduced to \(\mathrm{Skew}(S, \ast)\) for the associative algebra \(S=R\oplus R^{\mathrm{op}}\) with the exchange involution) again the description of (semi)prime ideals is the cornerstone of the result. However in the Lie setting a more carefully analysis is carried out, as some small cases (\(A_2\) and \(BD_4\)) need of a more detailed study. Together to the extension of Beĭdar and Mikhalev result to Jordan systems \(H_0(R,\ast)\) or \(R^{(+)}\) and Lie algebras \(\mathrm{Skew}(R, \ast)\) or \(R^{(-)}\), this paper contains a series of constructions showing that the general result fails for both general Jordan systems and Lie algebras. These constructions provide examples of nondegenerate Jordan systems and Lie algebras with prime degenerate quotients. Examples involve free special Jordan systems and free Lie algebras, as well as special Pchelintsev monsters and the Tits-Kantor-Koecher construction of Lie algebras from Jordan pairs. It is also worth of being mentioned those constructions based on imbeddings of Jordan systems in primitive systems with simple primitive heart [\textit{J. A. Anquela} et al., J. Algebra 449, 175--183 (2016; Zbl 1385.17012)] and of Lie algebras in strongly prime Lie algebras with simple nondegenerate heart [\textit{J. A. Anquela} and \textit{T. Cortés}, Commun. Algebra 41, No. 7, 2467--2475 (2013; Zbl 1281.17021)].