The Dixmier problem for skew PBW extensions and rings

Abstract: In this paper we discuss for skew $PBW$ extensions the famous Dixmier problem formulated by Jacques Dixmier in 1968. The skew $PBW$ extensions are noncommutative rings of polynomial type and covers several algebras and rings arising in mathematical physics and noncommutative algebraic geometry. For this purpose, we introduce the Dixmier algebras and we will study the Dixmier problem for algebras over commutative rings, in particular, for $\mathbb{Z}$-algebras, i.e., for arbitrary rings. The results are focused on the investigation of the Dixmier problem for matrix algebras, product of algebras, tensor product of algebras and also on the Dixmier question for the following particular key skew $PBW$ extension: Let $K$ be a field of characteristic zero and let $\mathcal{CSD}n(K)$ be the $K$-algebra generated by $n\geq 2$ elements $x_1,\dots,x_n$ subject to relations $$x_jx_i=x_ix_j+d{ij}, \ for \ all \ 1\leq i<j\leq n, \ with \ d_{ij}\in K-{0}$$. We prove that the algebra $\mathcal{CSD}_n(K)$ is central and simple. In the last section we present a matrix-computational approach to the problem formulated by Jacques Dixmier and also we compute some concrete nontrivial examples of automorphisms of the first Weyl algebra $A_1(K)$ and $\mathcal{CSD}_n(K)$ using the MAPLE library SPBWE developed for the first author. We compute the inverses of these automorphisms, and for $A_1(K)$, its factorization through some elementary automorphisms. For $n$ odd, we found some endomorphisms of $\mathcal{CSD}_n(K)$ that are not automorphisms. We conjecture that $\mathcal{CSD}_n(K)$ is Dixmier when $n$ is even.