Some stably tame polynomial automorphisms (Q952252)

Let \(R\) be a UFD and let \(K\) be its field of fractions. Since automorphisms of \(R[X,Y]\) induce automorphisms of \(K[X,Y]\) and the latter are tame, every automorphism \(F\) of \(R[X,Y]\) can be presented as a composition of automorphisms of \(K[X,Y]\) of the form \(F=L\circ D_{a,1}\circ F_m\circ F_{m-1}\circ\cdots\circ F_1\), where \(L=(X+c,Y+d)\), \(c,d\in R\), is a translation, \(D_{a,1}=(aX,Y)\), \(a\in R^{\ast}\), \(F_i=(X,Y+f_i(X))\) or \(F_i=(X+g_i(Y),Y)\), \(f_i(X)\in K[X]\), \(g_i(Y)\in K[Y]\). The minimal \(m\) with this property is the length of \(F\). Since the automorphisms of length 1 and 2 are tame, the first interesting cases, studied in the paper under review are the automorphisms of length 3. The most famous example is the automorphism of Nagata of \(R[X,Y]\), where \(R=K[t]\), which can be decomposed as \(N=F_1^{-1}\circ F_2\circ F_1\), \(F_1=(X,Y+X^2/t)\), \(F_2=(X+t^2Y,Y)\). The main result is: If \(SL_m(R[X_1,\ldots,X_n])=E_m(R[X_1,\ldots,X_n])\) for all \(n\geq 0\) and for all \(m\geq 3\) (\(E_m\) is the subgroup of \(SL_m\) generated by the elementary matrices), then all automorphisms of length 3 of \(R[X,Y]\) are stably tame. Two different proofs of this theorem are given in the paper. The author also mentions that in [\textit{E. Edo}, J. Algebra 287, No. 1, 15--31 (2005; Zbl 1140.13307)], this result is established with quite different methods and without the assumption \(SL_m(R[X_1,\ldots,X_n])=E_m(R[X_1,\ldots,X_n])\) but it seems that this condition is essential.