The algebraic hypercenter of an algebra over a commutative ring (Q752814)

The author extends results of \textit{J. Bergen} and \textit{I. N. Herstein} [J. Algebra 85, 217-242 (1983; Zbl 0526.16027)] on algebras over fields to algebras over commutative rings. Let R be an algebra over the commutative ring C, Z(R) the center of R, and for an ideal I of R set \(A(I)=\{x\in R|\) for each \(y\in I\) there is a nonconstant monic \(p=p_{x,y}\in C[t]\) so that \(xp(y)=p(y)x\}\). Assume for all the results that R contains no nonzero C-integral ideal. The first main theorem shows that R contains a unique ideal M, maximal with respect to containing no nonzero nilpotent element, and that \(A(R/M)=Z(R/M)\). Thus, if R is prime but not a domain, then \(A(R)=Z(R)\). The second main result proves that \(A(R)=Z(R)\) when \(C\supset {\mathbb{Q}}\), the rational numbers. Next, let T be the ring of integers, or F[t] for F a field. If \(C\subset T[s]\), where \(s\in QF(T)\), and if QF(T)R\(\subset R\), then again \(A(R)=Z(R)\). With this same hypothesis, or if \(C\supset {\mathbb{Q}}\), then if for x,y\(\in R\) there are nonconstant monic polynomials f,g\(\in C[t]\), depending on x and y, so that \(f(x)g(y)=g(y)f(x)\), then R is commutative. The other main results concern derivations and automorphisms. Now let R be a prime algebra which is C-torsion free, and assume that A(I)\(\subset Z(R)\) for all ideals I of R. If \(D\neq 0\) is a derivation of R with \(D(C)=0\), and if R is C-integral over Ker(D), then R is a commutative domain with char R\(>0\); and if \(G\neq id_ R\) is a C-automorphism of R so that R is C-integral over \(\{\) \(x\in R|\) \(G(x)=x\}\), then R is a commutative domain.