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COMMUNICATIONS IN ALGEBRA Vol. 32, No. 6, pp. 23592364, 2004

Extensions of Unit-Regular Rings#

Huanyin Chen*
Department of Mathematics, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, Zhejiang, Peoples Republic of China

ABSTRACT
It is shown that a non-unital regular ring R has stable range one if and only if for e all regular unitizations R of R, every element x 2 R is a sum of an idempotent e e e e e 2 R and a unit u 2 R such that x e u and 1 xR \ 1 eR 0. Key Words: Non-unital regular ring; Stable rank one; Idempotent. Primary 16E50; Secondary 16U99.

Mathematics Subject Classication:

Let R be an associative unital ring. We say that R is a clean ring in case every element of R can be written as a sum of an idempotent and a unit (cf. Anderson and Camillo, 2002; Nicholson, 1999). It is well known that every endomorphism ring of a vector space of countably innite dimension over a division ring is a clean ring (cf. Nicholson and Varadarajan, 1998, Theorem). A ring R is said to be unit-regular in case for every x 2 R there exists a unit u 2 R such that x xux (cf. Goodearl, 1991). Camillo and Yu (1994, Theorem 5) claimed that every unit-regular ring is

# Communicated by R. Wisbauer. *Correspondence: Huanyin Chen, Department of Mathematics, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, Zhejiang 321004, Peoples Republic of China; Fax: 0731-8871341; E-mail: chyzxl@ sparc2.hunnu.edu.cn.

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DOI: 10.1081/AGB-120037225 Copyright # 2004 by Marcel Dekker, Inc. 0092-7872 (Print); 1532-4125 (Online) www.dekker.com

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clean. But there was a gap in their proof. Camillo and Khurana proved this result by a new route and gave a characterization of unit-regular rings. They proved that a unital ring R is unit-regular if and only if every element a of R can be written as e u such that aR \ eR 0, where e is an idempotent and u a unit in R (Camillo and Khurana, 2001, Theorem 1). Recall that a non-unital ring R is regular in case for every x 2 R there exists y 2 R such that x xyx. A natural problem is how to extend Camillo and Khuranas theorem to non-unital regular rings. A non-unital ring R has stable range one provided that there exists a unitization e e e e e e R such that 1 aR bR R with a 2 R; b 2 R implies that 1 a by 2 R is a e. By Menal and Moncasi (1987, Lemma 1.4), a non-unital regular unit for some y 2 R ring R has stable range one if and only if eRe is unit-regular for all idempotents e 2 R. Also we have a unital regular ring R has stable range one if and only if it is a unit-regular ring (cf. Goodearl, 1991, Proposition 4.12). In this paper, we extend (Camillo and Khurana, 2001, Theorem 1) to nonunital regular rings and we prove that a non-unital regular ring R has stable e range one if and only if for all regular unitizations R of R, every element e and a unit u 2 R such that x e u e x 2 R is a sum of an idempotent e 2 R e \ 1 eR 0. e and 1 xR Throughout, all rings are associative non-unital rings and all modules are right unitary modules. Lemma 1. A non-unital regular ring has stable range one if and only if it has a unit-regular unitization. Proof. One direction is clear. Conversely, assume now that R is a non-unital regular ring having stable range one. By Funayama (1966, Theorem), we have a e e e e regular unitization R of R. Let CR be the centre of R, and let R R CR. In view of Menal and Moncasi (1987, Lemma 1.4), R is unit-regular. Obviously, R is also a unitization of R, as required. & Theorem 2. (1) (2) Let R be a non-unital regular ring. Then the following are equivalent:

R has stable range one. e There exists a regular unitization R such that for any x 2 R, there e and a unit u 2 R such that x e u and e exist an idempotent e 2 R e \ 1 eR 0. e 1 xR

e Proof. 1 ) 2 By Lemma 1, we have a unit-regular unitization R of R. Given e. Since R is unit-regular, from Camillo and Khurana e any x 2 R, we have 1 x 2 R e e (2001, Theorem 1), we have an idempotent f 2 R and a unit v 2 R such that e \ f R 0. Set e 1 f and u v. Then x e u e 1 x f v and 1 xR e e and 1 xR \ 1 eR 0, as required. e 2 ) 1 Suppose that there exists a regular unitization R of R. Given any e e x 2 1 R, we have 1 x 2 R. So there are e e2 2 R and u 2 UR such that e e 1 x e u and xR \ 1 eR 0. Hence x 1 e u. One veries that

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e e xu1 1 e 1 1 eu1 1 e 1 e1 u1 1 e 2 xR \ 1 eR 0. 1 1 This implies that xu x u 0, whence x xu x. e Suppose that ab c 1 with a 2 1 R; b; c 2 R. By the consideration e such that a ava. Set av f. Then fv1 b c 1; above, we have v 2 UR e hence, a c1 fv1 f c1 fv1 1 fv1 b1 fv1 is a unit of R. Therefore R has stable range one. & We say that a non-unital ring R is strongly p-regular in case for every x 2 R, there exists a positive integer nx such that xnx xnx1 y for some y 2 R. Clearly, every non-unital regular ring of bounded index is strongly p-regular. Also we see that strongly p-regular ring is leftright symmetric. Corollary 3. Let R be a non-unital strongly p-regular regular ring. Then there e exists a regular unitization R such that for any x 2 R, there exist an idempotent e e e e e 2 R and a unit u 2 R such that x e u and 1 xR \ 1 eR 0. Proof. Since R is regular, by Funayama (1966, Theorem), there exists a regular unitization R of R. Given any idempotent e 2 R, we see that eRe  R. For any ere 2 eRe, there exists a positive integer n such that eren eren1 y for a y 2 R. Hence eren eren1 eye with eye 2 R. In other words, eRe is a unital strongly p-regular ring. In view of an argument of Ara, it has stable range one. So we conclude that R has stable range one by Menal and Moncasi (1987, Lemma 1.4). Therefore we get the result from Theorem 2. & Vaserstein proved that a non-unital ring R having stable range one depends only on the ring structure of R, and not on the ambient ring R (see Vaserstein, 1984, Theorem 3.6). A natural problem is asked whether the equivalence of Theorem 2 also holds for all regular unitizations. We now observe the following fact. Theorem 4. (1) (2) Let R be a non-unital regular ring. Then the following are equivalent:

R has stable range one. e For all regular unitizations R of R, every element x 2 R is a sum of an e e idempotent e 2 R and a unit u 2 R such that x e u and e e 1 xR \ 1 eR 0.

Proof. 2 ) 1 By Funayama (1966, Theorem), there exists a regular unitizae tion R of R. So R has stable range one from Theorem 2. e 1 ) 2 Let R be a regular unitization of R. Given any x 2 R, we have y : e e 1 x 2 1 R. Since R is regular, there exists z 2 R such that y yzy and z zyz. Clearly, 1 z 1 y y yz yz z 1 y yzy 1 y 1zyz 2 R; e e hence, z 2 1 R. Clearly, yR r ey is a direct summand of R, and then it is projecR e tive. By Nicholson (1977, Lemma 2.8), there is B  r ey such that yR r ey R R e B. Because of the regularity of R, we also have A and C such that R e e yR e e e yR r ey A and yR K C, where K yR \ r ey. R R

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Since R has stable range one, from zy 1 zy 1 and z 2 1 R, we can nd e e t 2 R such that z 1 zyt v is a unit of R. So y yz 1 zyty yvy. That e is unit-regular. As B  r y, we deduce that B K B \ r y is, y 2 R R R e e e e e e yR \ r ey B yR \ r ey r ey. Thus we get h : B K r ey R=yR R R R R e e A B. As B is a direct summand of R, we have an idempotent f 2 R such that e. In addition, we have f 2 B  r y 1 zyR  R. It follows by e B fR R e e Menal and Moncasi (1987, Lemma 1.4) that End eB f Rf is unit-regular; hence, R it has stable range one. Therefore we get c : K A. Inasmuch as K and A are both e e e e direct summands of R, we have g1 ; g2 2 R such that K g1 R and A g2 R. Clearly, e \ 1 zyR  R. Obviously, there exists some r 2 R such that e e g1 2 K y R g2 cg1 r cg1 g1 r 2 R. This means that A  R as right R-modules. e e Dene a : R K A B C ! K A B C R given by ak a b c hk b a and b : R K A B C ! K A B C R given by bk a b c ck h1 a b for any k 2 K; a 2 A; b 2 B; c 2 C. It is easy to verify that aba a; hence, a1b1a1 a1. So a1b1 is an idempotent of R. It follows from a1b1 2 A B  R that y a1b1 2 1 R. Assume that y a1b1k a b c 0 for some k 2 K; a 2 A; b 2 B and c 2 C. Analogously to Camillo and Khurana (2001, Theorem 1), we get ya c a b ck 2 K C \ A B 0. Hence a ck b 2 A \ B 0, so we have b 0 and a ck. In addition, we deduce that a c 2 r ey \ R A C B K \ A C 0. Thus, a c 2 A \ C 0. Since c is isomorphic, we infer that k 0. Therefore we get k a b c 0. Because of the regularity of e y a1b1 2 R, we see that it is left invertible. Assume that wy a1b1 1 e. From y a1b1 2 1 R, we derive that w 2 1 R. As R has stable for some w 2 R e e range one, we deduce that w is a unit of R, whence, u : a1b1 y is a unit of R. 2 e and x 1 y e u. Furthermore, we Set e 1 a1b1. Then e e 2 R e e e e e see that 1 xR \ 1 eR yR \ a1b1R  yR \ A B K C \ A B 0, as asserted. & e Corollary 5. Let R be a regular unitization of R. If EndR xR is unit-regular, then e e x 2 R is the sum of an idempotent e 2 R and a unit u 2 R such that x e u and e \ 1 eR 0. e 1 xR e e Proof. Since x 2 R  R is regular, we have y 2 R such that x xyx. Set f xy. ef End f R End xR; hence, f Rf is unit-regular. In view of e e e Then f R R R e e Vaserstein (1971, Theorem 4), the sum of two ideals having stable range one has e stable range one. Thus there is a unique largest ideal R0 of R having stable range e with stable range one. It follows by Menal one, namely, the sum of all ideals of R and Moncasi (1987, Lemma 1.5) that f 2 R0 . Furthermore, we have x fx 2 R0 . e Inasmuch as R is a regular unitization of R0 and R0 has stable range one, by Theorem e e 4, there exist an idempotent e 2 R and a unit u 2 R such that x e u and e \ 1 eR 0, as asserted. e 1 xR & As an immediate consequence of Corollary 5, we prove that if R is a unital regular and EndR xR is unit-regular, then x 2 R is a sum of an idempotent e and a unit u such that x e u and 1 xR \ 1 eR 0. Let V be a right vector space over a division ring D, and let E EndD V . If dimD xV < 1, it follows that

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x 2 E is a sum of an idempotent e 2 E and a unit u 2 E such that x e u and 1V xE \ 1V eE 0. Corollary 6. Let R be a unital regular ring, and let x 2 R. If RxR has stable range one, then there exist an idempotent e 2 R and a unit u 2 R such that a e u and 1 aR \ 1 eR 0. Proof. Let I RxR. Then I is a regular ring with a regular unitization R. Since I has stable range one, by Theorem 4, there exist an idempotent e 2 R and a unit u 2 R such that x e u and 1 xR \ 1 eR 0, as asserted. & Let R be a unital regular ring, and let A aij 2 Mn R. If every Raij R has stable range one, we claim that there exist an idempotent E 2 Mn R and an invertibleP 2 Mn R such that A E U and In AMn R \ In EMn R 0. Set U I 1 i;j n Raij R. One easily checks that I has stable range one. Clearly, Mn R is regular. It follows from Mn RAMn R  Mn I that Mn RAMn R has stable range one. In view of Corollary 6, we are done. Recall that a right R-module M is quasi-injective provided that any homomorphism of a submodule of M into M extends to an endomorphism of M. Theorem 7. Let M be a quasi-injective right R-module, and let E EndR M. If xE is directly nite, then x 2 E is the sum of an idempotent e 2 E and a unit u 2 E and 1 xE \ 1 eE  JE. Proof. Set T E=JE. By Goodearl (1976, Theorem 1), T is a regular, right self  injective unital ring. Let x 2 E and x x JE. Then we have an idempotent f 2 T      such that xT f T; hence, EndT T EndT f T f T f . It follows by Goodearl x (1991, Proposition 9.8) that EndT T is also a regular, right self-injective unital x   ring. Assume now that xT D xT for a right T-module D. Clearly, we have z 2 E such that D T. Hence xE zE E T xE E T. This yields that z xE zE xE. As xE is a directly nite right E-module, we have zE 0; hence, D 0. That is,  xT is directly nite as a right T-module. By virtue of Goodearl (1991, Theorem 9.17), EndT T is unit-regular. It follows by Corollary 5 that there exist an idempotent x   g 2 T and a unit v 2 T such that x g v and 1 xT \ 1 gT 0. Since idempotents and units can be lifted modulo JE, we have an idempotent e 2 E, a unit w 2 E and a r 2 JE such that x e w r. Set u w r. Then u 2 E is invertible as well. In addition, we have 1 xE \ 1 eE  JE. Therefore we obtain the result. & Corollary 8. Let M be a semi-simple right R-module, and let E EndR M. If xE is directly nite, then x 2 E is the sum of an idempotent e 2 E and a unit u 2 E and 1 xE \ 1 eE 0. Proof. Since M is a semi-simple right R-module, it is quasi-injective. Furthermore, we know that E is regular. Therefore we get the result by Theorem 7. &

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Corollary 9. Let R be a regular, right self-injective unital ring. If xR is directly nite, then x 2 R is the sum of an idempotent e 2 R and a unit u 2 R and 1 xR \ 1 eR 0. Proof. It is an immediate consequence of Theorem 7. &

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