Nakayama automorphisms of Frobenius algebras. (Q1414680)

Let \(R\) be a finite-dimensional algebra over a field \(k\). The \(k\)-dual \(R^*:=\Hom_k(R,k)\) has a natural structure as an \(R\)-\(R\)-bimodule. \(R\) is called a `Frobenius algebra' if \(R\simeq R^*\) as left \(R\)-modules, and \(R\) is a `symmetric' \(k\)-algebra if \(R\simeq R^*\) as \((R,R)\)-bimodules. It is known that \(R\) is a Frobenius algebra if and only if there exists a nondegenerate associative bilinear map \(\varphi\colon R\times R\to k\). The nondegeneracy of \(\varphi\) implies that there is a unique \(k\)-linear map \(\sigma\colon R\to R\) defined by \(\varphi(r,s)=\varphi(s,\sigma(r))\) for all \(r,s\in R\). The \(k\)-linear map \(\sigma\) is indeed a \(k\)-algebra automorphism, called the `Nakayama automorphism' of \(R\). In this paper, the author shows that \(\sigma\) is independent of the field \(k\). As a consequence, the \(k\)-dual functor on left \(R\)-modules and the bimodule isomorphism type of the \(k\)-dual of \(R\), and hence the question of whether \(R\) is a symmetric \(k\)-algebra, are independent of \(k\).