On p-extensions of an algebra of characteristic p (Q792390)

For a ring R containing the prime field GF(p) let \({\mathcal P}(R)=\{x^ p- x| x\in R\}.\) A theorem of \textit{E. Witt} [J. Reine Angew. Math. 174, 237-245 (1936; Zbl 0013.19601)] says that when R is a field, R has a G- Galois extension field, for a finite p-group G, if and only if the index (R:\({\mathcal P}(R))\) is at least as large as (G:\(\Phi\) (G)), where \(\Phi\) (G) is the Frattini subgroup of G. This paper generalizes Witt's result to the case where R is a connected commutative ring.