On the smallest number of generators and the probability of generating an algebra

DOI10.2140/ANT.2012.6.243MaRDI QIDQ442423zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Rostyslav V. Kravchenko, Marcin Mazur, Bogdan V. Petrenko

Publication date 10 August 2012

Published in Algebra \& Number Theory (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1001.2873, http://msp.berkeley.edu/ant/2012/6-2/p03.xhtml

zbMATH Keywords

finitely generated algebrasmatrix algebrasnumber of generatorsorders in number fields

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Polynomials in number theory (11C08) Matrices, determinants in number theory (11C20) Other algebras and orders, and their zeta and (L)-functions (11R54) Matrices over special rings (quaternions, finite fields, etc.) (15B33) Matrices of integers (15B36) Separable algebras (e.g., quaternion algebras, Azumaya algebras, etc.) (16H05) Finite rings and finite-dimensional associative algebras (16P10) Finite generation, finite presentability, normal forms (diamond lemma, term-rewriting) (16S15)

Abstract: In this paper we study algebraic and asymptotic properties of generating sets of algebras over orders in number fields. Let $A$ be an associative algebra over an order $R$ in an algebraic number field. We assume that $A$ is a free $R$-module of finite rank. We develop a technique to compute the smallest number of generators of $A$. For example, we prove that the ring $M_3(mathbbZ{)}^k$ admits two generators if and only if $kleq768$. For a given positive integer $m$, we define the density of the set of all ordered $m$-tuples of elements of $A$ which generate it as an $R$-algebra. We express this density as a certain infinite product over the maximal ideals of $R$, and we interpret the resulting formula probabilistically. For example, we show that the probability that 2 random $3imes3$ matrices generate the ring $M_3(mathbbZ)$ is equal to $(zeta(2{)}^{2}zeta(3){)}^{-1}$, where $zeta$ is the Riemann zeta-function.

Review text

Let \(R\) be an order in \(K\), an extension of degree \(d\) of the rationals, and let \(\omega_1,\dots,\omega_d\) be an integral basis of \(R\). For positive \(N\) let \(R(N)=\{\sum_{i=1}^dx_j\omega_j:\;x_j\in Z,\;|x_j|\leq N\}\). The authors show that if \(f_1,\dots,f_s\) are polynomials in \(n\) variables over \(R\), and \(S\) denotes the set of \({\mathbf x}\in R^n\) such that the set \(\{f_i({\mathbf x}):\;i=1,2,\dots,s\}\) generates the unit ideal, then NEWLINE\[NEWLINE\lim_{N\to\infty}{\#(S\cap R(N))\over (2N+1)^{dn}}=\prod_M\left(1-{t_M\over N(M)^n}\right),NEWLINE\]NEWLINE where \(M\) runs over all maximal ideals of \(R\), and \(t_M\) is the number of common zeros of \(f_i \bmod M\).NEWLINENEWLINEThis result is used to establish the following assertion on sets generating an \(R\)-algebra. Let \(A\) be an \(R\)-algebra which is free of finite rank \(m\) as an \(R\)-module. If \(e_1,\dots,e_m\) is an \(R\)-basis of \(A\), then the set \(\{e_i\omega_j\}\) forms a \(Z\)-basis of \(A\). For positive integers \(N\) let \(A(N)\) be the set of elements of \(A\) whose all coefficients in that basis lie in the interval \([-N,N]\). Moreover let \(Gen_k(A)\) be the set of all \(k\)-element generators of \(A\) as an \(R\)-algebra. The authors define the density of the family of these sets by NEWLINE\[NEWLINE\text{den}_k(A)=\lim_{N\to\infty}{(\# Gen_k(A)\cap A(N)^k)\over\#A(N)},NEWLINE\]NEWLINE and show that this limit exists and can be expressed as the product of the analogously defined local densities.NEWLINENEWLINEThis is used to answer a question of Kapovich, asking for the probability that \(k\) elements chosen at random generate the group \(Z^n\). This probability turned out to be equal to the product NEWLINE\[NEWLINE\prod_{m=k-n+1}^k{1\over\zeta(m)},NEWLINE\]NEWLINE \(\zeta(s)\) being Riemann's zeta-function. The authors provide also several other applications, dealing with the smallest numbers of generators of \(R\)-algebras, generating sets of matrix algebras over finite fields and of generating sets of finite products of matrix algebras over rings of algebraic integers.

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Cited in

(10)

• Generators of maximal orders.
• On the probability of generating a lattice
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• On the Grothendieck-Serre conjecture for classical groups
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