Group actions and invariants in algebras of generic matrices. (Q867910)

Let \(k\) be a field of characteristic 0, and let \(G_{m,n}\) be the \(k\)-algebra of \(m\) generic \(n\times n\) matrices \(X_1,\dots,X_m\). This algebra is one of the most important objects in PI theory; it is free of rank \(m\) in the variety of algebras generated by \(M_n(k)\). It is well known that \(G_{m,n}\) is a domain. The general linear group acts naturally on \(G_{m,n}\) by first defining its action on the span of the \(X_i\). The main result of the paper under review is Theorem 1.2; it states that whenever \(2\leq m\leq n^2-2\) the algebra of \(\text{SL}_m\)-invariants \((G_{m,n})^{\text{SL}_m}\) is of PI degree \(n\). There are several rings of importance related to \(G_{m,n}\). Some of these are the trace ring \(T_{m,n}\) and their centers \(Z(G_{m,n})\), \(Z(T_{m,n})\). All these rings possess natural \(\mathbb{Z}\)-gradings. As consequence of the above theorem the authors obtain that if \(R\) is any of the above four rings, \(\limsup_{d\to\infty}(\dim R^{\text{SL}_m}[d])/d^{(m-1)m^2-m^2+1})\) is a nonzero number (finite). Here \(R[d]\) stands for the homogeneous component of \(R\) of degree \(d\). Furthermore, the authors show that if \(2\leq m\leq n^2-2\), and \(n\geq 3\) then for the universal division algebra \(\text{UD}(m,n)\) one has that \(\text{UD}(m,n)^{\text{GL}_m}\) is a division algebra of degree \(n\).