Rings as the unions of proper subrings. (Q694577)

If \(G\) is a group with two subgroups \(H\) and \(K\) such that \(G=H\cup K\), then \(H\leq K\) or \(K\leq H\). This is an elementary fact in group theory. The same result is of course valid for a ring covered by two subrings (even additive subgroups). So no group and no ring can be a union of two proper subgroups (subrings, respectively). It is well-known that there are groups (e.g., the Klein four group) covered by three proper subgroups. By a late result due to \textit{G. Scorza} [Bollettino U. M. I. 5, 216-218 (1926; JFM 52.0113.03)] a group \(G\) is a union of three proper subgroups \(A\), \(B\) and \(C\) if and only if \(A\), \(B\) and \(C\) have index \(2\) in \(G\) and \(G/(A\cap B\cap C)\) is isomorphic to the Klein four group. The authors of the paper under review study the structure of rings which are the union of three proper subrings. The first step is to classify all rings \(R\) with proper subrings \(S_1\), \(S_2\) and \(S_3\) such that \(R=S_1\cup S_2\cup S_3\) and such that no non-trivial ideal of \(R\) is contained in \(S_1\cap S_2\cap S_3\). These \(4\)-tuples \((R,S_1,S_2,S_3)\) of rings are called good. In Theorem 1.1, the authors completely describe all good \(4\)-tuples of rings by Examples 2.1-2.10 in the paper. In Theorem 1.2, all rings \(R\) which are the union of three of their proper subrings are described: if and only if there exists a factor ring (of order \(4\) or \(8\)) of \(R\) which is isomorphic to a good ring of Example 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, or 2.6.