Rings with commuting nilpotents and zero divisors. (Q927796)

For a ring \(R\) let \(N\) be its set of nilpotent elements, \(D\) its set of zero divisors, \(T\) its set of two-sided zero divisors, and \(S=\{a\in T\mid ya=0=ay\), some \(y\neq 0\}\). If \(A\subseteq R\), let \(\langle A\rangle\) be the ideal of \(R\) generated by \(A\). This paper contains various consequences of the commutativity of \(N\) or of \(D\). Examples of the results are: if \(a\in N\) is central in \(N\) then for \(m\geq 2\), \(\langle a^m\rangle\subseteq N\) and \(\langle a^{m_1}\rangle\cdots\langle a^{m_j}\rangle=\langle a^{{m_1}+\cdots+{m_j}}\rangle\); and if \(N\) is commutative then \(\langle N^m\rangle\subseteq N\) for \(m\geq 2\), \(N^3\) is central in \(R\), and \(\langle N^{m_1}\rangle\cdots\langle N^{m_j}\rangle=\langle N^{{m_1}+\cdots+{m_j}}\rangle\). Further, \(N\) is an ideal of \(R\) if \(N\) centralizes \(D\), or if \(N\) centralizes \(S\) and either \(N^2\neq 0\) or \(N\neq S\); this latter statement holds when \(T\) replaces \(S\). When \(R\) is not commutative and \(D\) is commutative, then \(D\) and \(N\) are ideals of \(R\), and if \(D^2\neq 0\) then \(R/N\) is commutative.