Growth of generalized Weyl algebras over polynomial algebras and Laurent polynomial algebras (Q6045561)

Let \(k\) be a field. Let \(D\) be an associative \(k\)-algebra, \(a\) be a central element of \(D\) and \(\sigma\) be a \(k\)-automorphism of \(D\). The generalized Weyl algebra (GWA, for short) \(A = D(\sigma, a)\) over \(D\) is defined as the algebra generated by \(D\) and two indeterminates \(x\) and \(y\) subject to the relations \[ xd = \sigma(d)x, yd = (\sigma^{-1}(d)y, yx = a, xy = \sigma(a)\text{ for all }d \in D. \] GWAs are natural generalizations of Weyl algebras and form an important class of noncommutative algebras. GWAs were introduced by [\textit{V. V. Bavula}, St. Petersbg. Math. J. 4, No. 1, 71--92 (1992; Zbl 0807.16027); translation from Algebra Anal. 4, No. 1, 75--97 (1992)] in the early 1990s. Since then their structures and representations have been studied intensively. The Gelfand-Kirillov dimension (\(GK\)-dimension, for short) is a main tool to quantify growth of algebras and groups. The \(GK\)-dimension of an algebra \(A\) is defined as \[ \mathrm{GKdim}(A):=\sup_{V}\lim_{n\to \infty}\mathrm{suplog}_{n}\lim_k(\sum_{i=0}^{n}V^{i}), \] where the supremum is taken over all the finite-dimensional subspaces \(V\) of \(A\). \(GK\)-dimension is a very useful and powerful tool for investigating noncommutative algebras. In this paper, the author studies the growth and the Gelfand-Kirillov dimension of the generalized Weyl algebra (GWA) \(A = D(\sigma, a)\), where \(D\) is a polynomial algebra or a Laurent polynomial algebra. Several necessary and sufficient conditions for \(GK\dim(A)=GK\dim(D) + 1\) are given. In particular, he proves a dichotomy of the \(GK\)-dimension of GWAs over the polynomial algebra in two indeterminates, i.e., \(GK\dim(A)\) is either 3 or \(\infty\) in this case. The results generalize several existing results in the literature and can be applied to determine the growth, \(GK\)-dimension, simplicity and cancellation properties of some GWAs.