IDENTITIES WITH ADDITIVE MAPPINGS IN SEMIPRIME RINGS

Abstract

Abstract. The aim of this paper is to prove the next result. Let n > 1be an integer and let R be a n!-torsion free semiprime ring. Suppose thatf : R →R is an additive mapping satisfying the relation [f(x),x n ] = 0for all x ∈R. Then f is commuting on R. 1. Introduction and the maintheoremThroughout, R will represent an associative ring with a center Z(R). Letn > 1 be an integer. A ring R is n-torsion free if nx = 0, x ∈ R, impliesx = 0. The Lie product (or a commutator) of elements x,y ∈ R will be denotedby [x,y] (i.e., [x,y] = xy − yx). Recall that a ring R is prime if aRb = {0},a,b ∈ R, implies that either a = 0 or b = 0. Furthermore, a ring R is calledsemiprime if aRa = {0}, a ∈ R, implies a = 0. We will denote by C and Q theextended centroid and the maximal right ring of quotients of a semiprime ringR, respectively. For the explanation of the extended centroid as well as themaximal right ring of quotients of a semiprime ring we refer the reader to [4].As usual, the socle of a ring R will be denoted by soc(R).An additive mapping D : R → R is called a derivation on R if D(xy) =D(x)y + xD(y) holds for all pairs x,y ∈ R. An additive mapping f : R →R is called centralizing on R if [f(x),x] ∈ Z(R) holds for all x ∈ R. In aspecial case, when [f(x),x] = 0 for all x ∈ R, the mapping f is said to becommuting on R. A classical result of Posner [21] (Posner’s second theorem)states that the existence of a nonzero centralizing derivation on a prime ringforces the ring to be commutative. Posner’s second theorem in general cannotbe proved for semiprime rings as shows the following example. Let R