In the present paper we find generators of the mixed commutator subgroups of relative elementary groups and obtain unrelativised versions of commutator formulas in the setting of Bak's unitary groups. It is a direct sequel of our similar results were obtained for $GL(n,R)$ and for Chevalley groups over a commutative ring with 1, respectively. Namely, let $(A,Λ)$ be any form ring and $n\ge 3$. We consider Bak's hyperbolic unitary group $GU(2n,A,Λ)$. Further, let $(I,Γ)$ be a form ideal of $(A,Λ)$. One can associate with $(I,Γ)$ the corresponding elementary subgroup $FU(2n,I,Γ)$ and the relative elementary subgroup $EU(2n,I,Γ)$ of $GU(2n,A,Λ)$. Let $(J,Δ)$ be another form ideal of $(A,Λ)$. In the present paper we prove an unexpected result that the non-obvious type of generators for $\big[EU(2n,I,Γ),EU(2n,J,Δ)\big]$, as constructed in our previous papers with Hazrat, are redundant and can be expressed as products of the obvious generators, the elementary conjugates $Z_{ij}(ab,c)=T_{ji}(c)T_{ij}(ab)T_{ji}(-c)$ and $Z_{ij}(ba,c)$, and the elementary commutators $Y_{ij}(a,b)=[T_{ji}(a),T_{ij}(b)]$, where $a\in(I,Γ)$, $b\in(J,Δ)$, $c\in(A,Λ)$. It follows that $\big[FU(2n,I,Γ),FU(2n,J,Δ)\big]= \big[EU(2n,I,Γ),EU(2n,J,Δ)\big]$. In fact, we establish much more precise generation results. In particular, even the elementary commutators $Y_{ij}(a,b)$ should be taken for one long root position and one short root position. Moreover, $Y_{ij}(a,b)$ are central modulo $EU(2n,(I,Γ)\circ(J,Δ))$ and behave as symbols. This allows us to generalise and unify many previous results,including the multiple elementary commutator formula, and dramatically simplify their proofs.
In the present paper, which is a direct sequel of our papers [10,11,35] joint with Roozbeh Hazrat, we achieve a further dramatic reduction of the generating sets for commutators of relative elementary subgroups in Chevalley groups. Namely, let $Φ$ be a reduced irreducible root system of rank $\ge 2$, let $R$ be a commutative ring and let $A,B$ be two ideals of $R$. We consider subgroups of the Chevalley group $G(Φ,R)$ of type $Φ$ over $R$. The unrelative elementary subgroup $E(Φ,A)$ of level $A$ is generated (as a group) by the elementary unipotents $x_α(a)$, $α\inΦ$, $a\in A$, of level $A$. I…
Let $R$ be any associative ring with $1$, $n\ge 3$, and let $A,B$ be two-sided ideals of $R$. In the present paper we show that the mixed commutator subgroup $[E(n,R,A),E(n,R,B)]$ is generated as a group by the elements of the two following forms: 1) $z_{ij}(ab,c)$ and $z_{ij}(ba,c)$, 2) $[t_{ij}(a),t_{ji}(b)]$, where $1\le i\neq j\le n$, $a\in A$, $b\in B$, $c\in R$. Moreover, for the second type of generators, it suffices to fix one pair of indices $(i,j)$. This result is both stronger and more general than the previous results by Roozbeh Hazrat and the authors. In particular, it implies tha…
In our previous joint papers with Roozbeh Hazrat and Alexei Stepanov we established commutator formulas for relative elementary subgroups in $GL(n,R)$, $n\ge 3$, and other similar groups, such as Bak's unitary groups, or Chevalley groups. In particular, there it was shown that multiple commutators of elementary subgroups can be reduced to double such commutators. However, since the proofs of these results depended on the standard commutator formulas, it was assumed that the ground ring $R$ is quasi-finite. Here we propose a different approach which allows to lift any such assumptions and estab…
The present paper is the [slightly expanded] text of our talk at the Conference "Advances in Group Theory and Applications" at Porto Cesareo in June 2011. Our main results assert that [elementary] Chevalley groups very rarely have finite commutator width. The reason is that they have very few commutators, in fact, commutators have finite width in elementary generators. We discuss also the background, bounded elementary generation, methods of proof, relative analogues of these results, some positive results, and possible generalisations.
Let $R$ be any associative ring with $1$, $n\ge 3$, and let $A,B$ be two-sided ideals of $R$. In our previous joint works with Roozbeh Hazrat [17,15] we have found a generating set for the mixed commutator subgroup $[E(n,R,A),E(n,R,B)]$. Later in [29,34] we noticed that our previous results can be drastically improved and that $[E(n,R,A),E(n,R,B)]$ is generated by 1) the elementary conjugates $z_{ij}(ab,c)=t_{ij}(c)t_{ji}(ab)t_{ij}(-c)$ and $z_{ij}(ba,c)$, 2) the elementary commutators $[t_{ij}(a),t_{ji}(b)]$, where $1\le i\neq j\le n$, $a\in A$, $b\in B$, $c\in R$. Later in [33,35] we noticed…
Let $Φ$ be a reduced irreducible root system of rank $\ge 2$, let $R$ be a commutative ring and let $I,J$ be two ideals of $R$. In the present paper we describe generators of the commutator groups of relative elementary subgroups $\big[E(Φ,R,I),E(Φ,R,J)\big]$ both as normal subgroups of the elementary Chevalley group $E(Φ,R)$, and as groups. Namely, let $x_{\a}(ξ)$, $\a\inΦ$, $ξ\in R$, be an elementary generator of $E(Φ,R)$. As a normal subgroup of the absolute elementary group $E(Φ,R)$, the relative elementary subgroup is generated by $x_{\a}(ξ)$, $\a\inΦ$, $ξ\in I$. Classical results due to …
In the present paper we continue the study of the elementary commutator subgroups $[E(n,A),E(n,B)]$, where $A$ and $B$ are two-sided ideals of an associative ring $R$, $n\ge 3$. First, we refine and expand a number of the auxiliary results, both classical ones, due to Bass, Stein, Mason, Stothers, Tits, Vaserstein, van der Kallen, Stepanov, as also some of the intermediate results in our joint works with Hazrat, and our own recent papers [40,41]. The gimmick of the present paper is an explicit triple congruence for elementary commutators $[t_{ij}(ab),t_{ji}(c)]$, where $a,b,c$ belong to three …
This note revisits localisation and patching method in the setting of generalised unitary groups. Introducing certain subgroups of relative elementary unitary groups, we develop relative versions of the conjugation calculus and the commutator calculus in unitary groups, which are both more general, and substantially easier than the ones available in the literature. For the general linear group such relative commutator calculus has been recently developed by the first and the third authors. As an application we prove the mixed commutator formula, for two form ideals of a form ring. This answers…
In the present paper we discuss some recent versions of localisation methods for calculations in the groups of points of algebraic-like and classical-like groups. Namely, we describe relative localisation, universal localisation, and enhanced versions of localisation-completion. Apart from the general strategic description of these methods, we state some typical technical results of the conjugation calculus and the commutator calculus. Also, we state several recent results obtained therewith, such as relative standard commutator formulae, bounded width of commutators, with respect to the eleme…
Let A be a quasi-finite R-algebra (i.e., a direct limit of module finite algebras) with identity. Let I_i, i=0,...,m, be two-sided ideals of A, \GL_n(A,I_i) the principal congruence subgroup of level I_i in GL_n(A) and E_n(A,I_i) be the relative elementary subgroup of level I_i. We prove a multiple commutator formula [E_n(A,I_0),\GL_n(A,I_1),& \GL_n(A, I_2),..., \GL_n(A, I_m)] = [E_n(A,I_0),E_n(A,I_1),E_n(A, I_2),..., E_n(A, I_m)], which is a broad generalization of the standard commutator formulas.
We revisit localisation and patching method in the setting of Chevalley groups. Introducing certain subgroups of relative elementary Chevalley groups, we develop relative versions of the conjugation calculus and the commutator calculus in Chevalley groups $G(Φ,R)$, $\rk(Φ)\geq 2$, which are both more general, and substantially easier than the ones available in the literature. For classical groups such relative commutator calculus has been recently developed by the authors in \cite{RZ,RNZ}. As an application we prove the mixed commutator formula, \[ \big [E(Φ,R,\ma),C(Φ,R,\mb)\big ]=\big [E(Φ,R…
In the current article we study structure of a Chevalley group $G(R)$ over a commutative ring $R$. We generalize and improve the following results: (1) standard, relative, and multi-relative commutator formulas; (2) nilpotent structure of [relative] $K_1$; (3) bounded word length of commutators. To this end we enlarge the elementary group, construct a generic element for the extended elementary group, and use localization in the universal ring. The key step is a construction of a generic element for a principle congruence subgroup, corresponding to a principle ideal.
Let $(\FormR)$ be a form ring such that $A$ is quasi-finite $R$-algebra (i.e., a direct limit of module finite algebras) with identity. We consider the hyperbolic Bak's unitary groups $\GU(2n,\FormR)$, $n\ge 3$. For a form ideal $(I,Γ)$ of the form ring $(\FormR)$ we denote by $\EU(2n,I,Γ)$ and $\GU(2n,I,Γ)$ the relative elementary group and the principal congruence subgroup of level $(I,Γ)$, respectively. Now, let $(I_i,Γ_i) $, $i=0,...,m$, be form ideals of the form ring $(A,Λ)$. The main result of the present paper is the following multiple commutator formula [\big[\EU(2n,I_0,Γ_0),&\GU(2n,I…
In the present paper, which is a direct sequel of our paper [12] joint with Roozbeh Hazrat, we prove unrelativised version of the standard commutator formula in the setting of Chevalley groups. Namely, let $Φ$ be a reduced irreducible root system of rank $\ge 2$, let $R$ be a commutative ring and let $I,J$ be two ideals of $R$. We consider subgroups of the Chevalley group $G(Φ,R)$ of type $Φ$ over $R$. The unrelativised elementary subgroup $E(Φ,I)$ of level $I$ is generated (as a group) by the elementary unipotents $x_α(ξ)$, $α\inΦ$, $ξ\in I$, of level $I$. Obviously, in general $E(Φ,I)$ has n…
Let $R$ be an exchange ring. We prove that the relative elementary subgroups $E_n(R,I)$ are normal in the general linear group $GL_n(R)$ if $n\geq 1$ and that the standard commutator formula $E_n(R,I)=[E_n(R),E_n(R,I)]=[E_n(R),C_n(R,I)]$ holds if $n\geq 3$. Moreover, we classify the subgroups of $GL_n(R)$ that are normalised by the elementary subgroup $E_n(R)$ in the case $n\geq 3$.
Let $\mathbb Z \langle X \rangle$ be the free unital associative ring freely generated by an infinite countable set $X = \{ x_1,x_2, \dots \}$. Define a left-normed commutator $[x_1,x_2, \dots, x_n]$ by $[a,b] = ab - ba$, $[a,b,c] = [[a,b],c]$. For $n \ge 2$, let $T^{(n)}$ be the two-sided ideal in $\mathbb Z \langle X \rangle$ generated by all commutators $[a_1,a_2, \dots, a_n]$ $( a_i \in \mathbb Z \langle X \rangle )$. Let $T^{(3,2)}$ be the two-sided ideal of the ring $\mathbb Z \langle X \rangle$ generated by all elements $[a_1, a_2, a_3, a_4]$ and $[a_1, a_2] [a_3, a_4, a_5]$ $(a_i \in \…
In his seminal paper, half a century ago, Hyman Bass established a commutator formula in the setting of (stable) general linear group which was the key step in defining the K_1 group. Namely, he proved that for an associative ring A with identity, E(A)=[E(A),E(A)]=[GL(A),GL(A)] where GL(A) is the stable general linear group and E(A) is its elementary subgroup. Since then, various commutator formulas have been studied in stable and non-stable settings, and for a range of classical and algebraic like-groups, mostly in relation to subnormal subgroups of these groups. The major classical theorems …
Let Z<X> be the free unitary associative ring freely generated by an infinite countable set X = {x_1, x_2,...}. Define a left-normed commutator [x_1, x_2, ..., x_n] by [a,b] = ab - ba, [a,b,c] = [[a,b],c]. For n \ge 2, let T^(n) be the ideal in Z<X> generated by all commutators [a_1,a_2,..., a_n] (a_i \in Z<X>). It can be easily seen that the additive group of the quotient ring Z<X> /T^(2) is a free abelian group. Recently Bhupatiraju, Etingof, Jordan, Kuszmaul and Li have noted that the additive group of Z<X> /T^(3) is free abelian as well. In the present note we show that this is not the cas…
Let $R$ be an associative ring with 1, $G=GL(n, R)$ be the general linear group of degree $n\ge 3$ over $R$. In this paper we calculate the relative centralisers of the relative elementary subgroups or the principal congruence subgroups, corresponding to an ideal $A\unlhd R$ modulo the relative elementary subgroups or the principal congruence subgroups, corresponding to another ideal $B\unlhd R$. Modulo congruence subgroups the results are essentially easy exercises in linear algebra. But modulo the elementary subgroups they turned out to be quite tricky, and we could get definitive answers on…
