On a problem by Nathan Jacobson

Abstract: We prove a coordinatization theorem for unital alternative algebras containing 2 x 2 matrix algebra with the same identity element 1. This solves an old problem announced by Nathan Jacobson on the description of alternative algebras containing a generalized quaternion algebra H with the same 1, for the case when the algebra H is split. In particular, this is the case when the basic field is finite or algebraically closed.

Review text

The classical Wedderburn coordinatization theorem says that if a unital associative algebra \(A\) contains a matrix algebra \(M_n(F)\) with the same identity element, then it is itself a matrix algebra, \( A \cong M_n(D)\), ``coordinated by \(D\). Generalizations and analogs of this theorem were proved for various classes of algebras and superalgebras. The common content of all these results is that if an algebra (or superalgebra) contains a certain subalgebra (matrix algebra, octonions, Albert algebra) with the same identity element, then the algebra itself has the same structure, but not over the basic field rather over a certain algebra that ``coordinatizes it. In the present paper, the authors proved a coordinatization theorem for unital alternative algebras containing \(2 \times 2\) matrix algebra with the same identity element. Let \(B\) be an associative unital algebra and let \(V\) be a left \(B\)-module such that \([B,B]\) annihilates \(V.\) Clearly, in this case \(V\) has a structure of a commutative \(B\)-bimodule with \(v \cdot b = b \cdot v,\) \(v \in V, b \in B.\) Assume that there exists a \(B\)-bilinear skew-symmetric mapping \(\langle, \rangle: V \times V \to B\) such that \(\langle V,V \rangle \subseteq Z(B)\) and formula \[ \langle u,v \rangle w+ \langle v,w \rangle u +\langle w, u\rangle v =0 \] holds for any \(u, v, w \in V.\) Let \(A= M_2(B) \oplus V^2,\) where \(V^2 = \{(u, v) | u, v \in V \} \cong V \oplus V.\) Let \(X=X_a +(x, y),\) \(Y=Y_a +(z, t),\) where \(X_a, Y_a \in M_2(B)\) and \((x, y), (z, t) \in V^2.\) Define a product in \(A\) by the formula: \[ XY = X_aY_a + \left( \begin{array}{cc} -\langle x,t \rangle & - \langle y,t \rangle \\ \langle x,z \rangle & \langle y,z \rangle \end{array}\right) +(z, t) X_a + (x, y) Y_a^*, \] where \(\left( \begin{array}{cc} a & b \\ c & d \end{array}\right)^*=\left( \begin{array}{cc} d & -b \\ -c & a \end{array}\right).\) The main result of the paper is given in the following theorem. Theorem 5.1. The algebra \(A\) with the product defined above is an alternative unital algebra containing \(M_2(F)\) with the same unit. Conversely, every unital alternative algebra that contains the matrix algebra \(M_2(F)\) with the same unit has this form.

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