On the lifting of the Nagata automorphism (Q657838)

Let \(F\) be an arbitrary field and let \(F[x,y,z]\) and \(F\langle x,y,z\rangle\) be, respectively, the polynomial and the free associative algebras in three variables. Studying the automorphisms of \(F[x,y,z]\) and \(F\langle x,y,z\rangle\), a central role is played by the \(z\)-automorphisms, i.e. automorphisms fixing the variable \(z\). In particular, ten years ago \textit{I. P. Shestakov} and \textit{U. U. Umirbaev} [Dokl. Math. 66, No. 2, 266--269 (2002); translation from Dokl. Akad. Nauk 386, No. 6, 745--748 (2002; Zbl 1170.14310); J. Am. Math. Soc. 17, No. 1, 181--196, 197--227 (2004; Zbl 1044.17014); J. Am. Math. Soc. 17, No. 1, 197--227 (2004; Zbl 1056.14085)] showed the wildness of a big class of \(z\)-automorphisms of \(F[x,y,z]\) including the famous Nagata automorphism (\(\text{char}(F)=0\)). More recently \textit{U. U. Umirbaev} [J. Reine Angew. Math. 605, 165--178 (2007; Zbl 1126.16021)] established the wildness of some \(z\)-automorphisms of \(F\langle x,y,z\rangle\) including the Anick automorphism (which induces a tame automorphism of \(F[x,y,z]\), again \(\text{char}(F)=0\)). The paper under review deals with the lifting of \(z\)-automorphisms of \(F[x,y,z]\) to \(z\)-automorphisms of \(F\langle x,y,z\rangle\). It contains several important results. The main result states that a wild automorphism of the \(F[z]\)-algebra \(F[x,y,z]\) cannot be lifted to a \(z\)-automorphism of \(F\langle x,y,z\rangle\). Hence the Nagata automorphism cannot be lifted to a \(z\)-automorphism of \(F\langle x,y,z\rangle\). Working in the spirit of the result of \textit{U. U. Umirbaev} and \textit{J.-T. Yu} [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101, No. 13, 4352--4355 (2004; Zbl 1065.13011)], the authors prove that all wild \(z\)-coordinates of \(F[x,y,z]\) including the Nagata coordinates, cannot be lifted to \(z\)-coordinates of \(F\langle x,y,z\rangle\). The main idea of the proof is to work in the algebra \(Q\ast_FF\langle x,y\rangle\) for an extension \(Q\) of the field \(F\) and to describe the structure of the group of \(Q\)-automorphisms there. This is combined with a new estimate of the degree of the elements in the two-generated subalgebras of \(Q\ast_FF\langle x_1,\dots,x_n\rangle\). The main results are achieved applying the results on \(\text{Aut}_QQ\ast_FF\langle x,y\rangle\) for \(Q=F(z)\). In particular, the authors present a canonical decomposition of the \(z\)-automorphisms of \(F\langle x,y,z\rangle\) as a product of linear automorphisms in \(\text{Aut}_{F[z]}F\langle x,y,z\rangle\) and elementary automorphisms in \(\text{Aut}_{F[z]}F\langle x,y,z\rangle\) conjugated by linear automorphisms in \(\text{Aut}_{F(z)}F\langle x,y,z\rangle\).