Zero-product balanced algebras (Q6040652)

An algebra is said to be \textit{zero-product balanced} if \(ab \otimes c\) and \(a \otimes bc\) agree modulo tensors of elements with zero product (i.e., \(ab \otimes c - a \otimes bc \in \mathrm{span}_K \{u \otimes v \in A \otimes_K A : uv = 0\}\) for all \(a, b, c \in A\)). This is closely related to but more general than the notion of a \textit{zero-product determined} algebra introduced and developed by Brešar, Villena and others. Every surjective, zero-product preserving map (a linear map \(f : A \rightarrow B\) between algebras is said to preserve zero-products if \(ab = 0\) implies \(f(a)f(b) = 0\), for all \(a, b \in A\)) from a zero-product balanced algebra is automatically a weighted epimorphism, and this implies that zero-product balanced algebras are determined by their linear and zero-product structure. Further, the commutator subspace of a zero-product balanced algebra can be described in terms of square-zero elements. In this article, it is shown that a commutative, reduced algebra is zero-product balanced if and only if it is generated by idempotents and hence it follows that every commutative, zero-product balanced algebra is spanned by nilpotent and idempotent elements.