On the zeros of polynomials over arbitrary finite dimensional algebras

Abstract

In [3] it was shown that a polynomial of degree n with coefficients in an associative division algebra, which is d-dimensional over its center, has either infinitely many or at most nd zeros. In this paper we raise the same question for arbitrary m-ary F-algebras A which are d-dimensional over the algebraically closed field F. Our main result states that in the affine space of m-ary algebras of dimension d there is a non-empty Zariski-open set whose elements A have the following property: in the space of polynomial of precise degree n with coefficients in A there is a non-empty Zariski-open set whose elements have precisely nd zeros. It is shown that all simple algebras, all semi-simple associative algebras, all semisimple Jordan algebras (char F≠2), all semi-simple Lie algebras (char F=0), and the generic algebra possess this property.