Power-commuting generalized skew derivations in prime rings. (Q5964371)

Let \(R\) be a prime ring of characteristic different from \(2\) with center \(Z(R)\), extended centroid \(C\), right Martindale quotient ring \(Q_r\) and symmetric Martindale quotient ring \(Q\). Let \(\alpha\) be an automorphism of a ring \(R\). An additive mapping \(F\colon R\to R\) is called a generalized \(\alpha\)-derivation (or a generalized skew derivation) on \(R\) if there exists an additive mapping \(D\) on \(R\) such that \(F(xy)=F(x)y+\alpha(x)D(y)\) for all \(x,y\in R\). The map \(D\) is uniquely determined by \(F\) and it is called an associated additive map of \(F\). Moreover, it turns out that \(D\) is always an \(\alpha\)-derivation. The main result of the paper under review is as follows. Suppose that \(F\neq 0\) is a generalized skew derivation of \(R\). If there exists an integer \(n\geq 1\) such that \([F(x),x]^n=0\) for all \(x\in R\), then \(F\) has the form \(F(x)=\lambda x\) for some \(\lambda\in C\) and for all \(x\in R\). This result substantially generalizes many existing results in this area.