A note on the nilradical N of a ring R and a subdirect sum representation of the ring R/N (Q790919)

In 1961 \textit{I. N. Hernstein} [Mich. Math. J. 8, 29-32 (1961; Zbl 0096.257)] proved that for an associative ring R satisfying the condition \((1)\quad(x+y)^ m=x^ m+y^ m\) (m being a given positive integer) the set N of all nilpotent elements of R is for \(m>1\) an ideal of R, and R/N is commutative. Here we prove in a very elementary form the first part of this result (Lemma 1). Under the additional condition \((2)\quad x^ m=x^ n\quad(n=n(x)\) being a positive integer relatively prime to m) we prove, using only the ''division ring part'' of Jacobson's commutativity theorem, the following Theorem: Let R be an associative nonzero ring satisfying conditions (1) and (2). Then N is an ideal of R, and \(N=0\) if and only if R is locally unitary (i.e. if R is an s-ring). Moreover, if \(N\neq R\) then R/N is a subdirect sum of fields and satisfies the condition \((x+N)^ r=x+N\) (\(x\in R)\), where \(r=r(x)\) is a positive integer given by \(r(x)=n(x)-m+1\) for \(n(x)>m,\) and \(r(x)=m-n(x)+1\) otherwise. This theorem improves the main result of a note of \textit{E. Psomopulos} [to appear in Rad., Odjeljenje Prir. Mat. Nauka].