Finite index conditions in rings. (Q888112)

An old result of \textit{Yu. G. Fedorov} [Usp. Mat. Nauk 6, No. 1(41), 187-189 (1951; Zbl 0042.01802)] asserts that every subgroup of an infinite group \(G\) has finite index if and only if \(G\) is cyclic. Motivated by this result, the author considers analogous problems for rings. Let \(R\) be an infinite ring and \(\mathcal C\) one of the following five classes of additive subgroups of \(R\): (i) all additive subgroups, (ii) subrings, (iii) ideals, (iv) one-sided ideals, (v) Lie ideals. Define \(R\) to have the finite index property (FIP) for \(\mathcal C\) if every nonzero member of \(\mathcal C\) has finite index in \((R,+)\). For cases (i) and (ii), \(R\) has FIP for \(\mathcal C\) if and only if either \(R\cong m\mathbb{Z}\) as rings or if \((R,+)\cong(\mathbb{Z},+)\) and \(R^2=\{0\}\). For cases (iii)-(v), necessary conditions for \(R\) to have FIP for \(\mathcal C\) are given; in every case, \(R\) is either a zero ring or a prime ring. The paper includes many examples.