G-algebras, twistings, and equivalences of graded categories

Given Z-graded rings A and B, we study when the categories gr-A and gr-B are equivalent. We relate the Morita-type results of Ahn-Marki and del Rio to the twisting systems introduced by Zhang. Using Z-algebras, we obtain a simple proof of Zhang's main result. This makes the definition of a Zhang twist extremely natural and extends Zhang's results.Comment: 13 pages; typos corrected and revised slightly; to appear in Algebras and Representation Theor

Classifying birationally commutative projective surfaces

Let R be a noetherian connected graded domain of Gelfand-Kirillov dimension 3 over an uncountable algebraically closed field. Suppose that the graded quotient ring of R is a skew-Laurent ring over a field; we say that R is a birationally commutative projective surface. We classify birationally commutative projective surfaces and show that they fall into four families, parameterized by geometric data. This generalizes work of Rogalski and Stafford on birationally commutative projective surfaces generated in degree 1; our proof techniques are quite different.Comment: 60 pages; Proceedings of the LMS, 201

Geometric idealizers

Let X be a projective variety, $\sigma$ an automorphism of X, L a $\sigma$-ample invertible sheaf on X, and Z a closed subscheme of X. Inside the twisted homogeneous coordinate ring $B = B(X, L, \sigma)$, let I be the right ideal of sections vanishing at Z. We study the subring R = k + I of B. Under mild conditions on Z and $\sigma$, R is the idealizer of I in B: the maximal subring of B in which I is a two-sided ideal. We give geometric conditions on Z and $\sigma$ that determine the algebraic properties of R, and show that if Z and $\sigma$ are sufficiently general, in a sense we make precise, then R is left and right noetherian, has finite left and right cohomological dimension, is strongly right noetherian but not strongly left noetherian, and satisfies right $\chi_d$ (where d = \codim Z) but fails left $\chi_1$. We also give an example of a right noetherian ring with infinite right cohomological dimension, partially answering a question of Stafford and Van den Bergh. This generalizes results of Rogalski in the case that Z is a point in $\mathbb{P}^d$.Comment: 43 pages; comments welcom

The Poisson spectrum of the symmetric algebra of the Virasoro algebra

Let $W = \mathbb{C}[t,t^{-1}]\partial_t$ be the Witt algebra of algebraic vector fields on $\mathbb{C}^\times$ and let $Vir$ be the Virasoro algebra, the unique nontrivial central extension of $W$. In this paper, we study the Poisson ideal structure of the symmetric algebras of $Vir$ and $W$, as well as several related Lie algebras. We classify prime Poisson ideals and Poisson primitive ideals of $S(Vir)$ and $S(W)$. In particular, we show that the only functions in $W^*$ which vanish on a nontrivial Poisson ideal (that is, the only maximal ideals of $S(W)$ with a nontrivial Poisson core) are given by linear combinations of derivatives at a finite set of points; we call such functions local. Given a local function $\chi\in W^*$, we construct the associated Poisson primitive ideal through computing the algebraic symplectic leaf of $\chi$, which gives a notion of coadjoint orbit in our setting. As an application, we prove a structure theorem for subalgebras of $Vir$ of finite codimension and show in particular that any such subalgebra of $Vir$ contains the central element $z$, substantially generalising a result of Ondrus and Wiesner on subalgebras of codimension 1. As a consequence, we deduce that $S(Vir)/(z-\lambda)$ is Poisson simple if and only if $\lambda \neq 0$.Comment: 51 pages; comments welcome. v2: 52 pages; paper rearranged slightly; classification of maximal Poisson ideals of $S(Vir)$ added; statements of some results correcte

A Poisson basis theorem for symmetric algebras of infinite-dimensional Lie algebras

We consider when the symmetric algebra of an infinite-dimensional Lie algebra, equipped with the natural Poisson bracket, satisfies the ascending chain condition (ACC) on Poisson ideals. We define a combinatorial condition on a graded Lie algebra which we call Dicksonian because it is related to Dickson's lemma on finite subsets of $\mathbb N^k$. Our main result is: Theorem. If $\mathfrak g$ is a Dicksonian graded Lie algebra over a field of characteristic zero, then the symmetric algebra $S(\mathfrak g)$ satisfies the ACC on radical Poisson ideals. As an application, we establish this ACC for the symmetric algebra of any graded simple Lie algebra of polynomial growth, and for the symmetric algebra of the Virasoro algebra. We also derive some consequences connected to the Poisson primitive spectrum of finitely Poisson-generated algebras.Comment: 29 pages; comments welcome; v2 minor changes to introduction, submitte

Geometric algebras on projective surfaces

Let X be a projective surface, let \sigma be an automorphism of X, and let L be a \sigma-ample invertible sheaf on X. We study the properties of a family of subrings, parameterized by geometric data, of the twisted homogeneous coordinate ring B(X, L, \sigma). In particular, we find necessary and sufficient conditions for these subrings to be noetherian. We also study their homological properties, their associated noncommutative projective schemes, and when they are maximal orders. In the process, we produce new examples of maximal orders; these are graded and have the property that no Veronese subring is generated in degree 1. Our results are used in a companion paper to give defining data for a large class of noncommutative projective surfaces.Comment: 39 pages; v2 results largely unchanged, but notation describing algebras revised significantly. As a result details of many proofs have changed, and statements of some results. To appear in Journal of Algebr

Generalised Witt algebras and idealizers

Let $\Bbbk$ be an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero, and let $\Gamma$ be an additive subgroup of $\Bbbk$. Results of Kaplansky-Santharoubane and Su classify intermediate series representations of the generalised Witt algebra $W_\Gamma$ in terms of three families, one parameterised by ${\mathbb A}^2$ and two by ${\mathbb P}^1$. In this note, we use the first family to construct a homomorphism $\Phi$ from the enveloping algebra $U(W_\Gamma)$ to a skew extension of ${\Bbbk}[a,b]$. We show that the image of $\Phi$ is contained in a (double) idealizer subring of this skew extension and that the representation theory of idealizers explains the three families. We further show that the image of $U(W_\Gamma)$ under $\Phi$ is not left or right noetherian, giving a new proof that $U(W_\Gamma)$ is not noetherian. We construct $\Phi$ as an application of a general technique to create ring homomorphisms from shift-invariant families of modules. Let $G$ be an arbitrary group and let $A$ be a $G$-graded ring. A graded $A$-module $M$ is an intermediate series module if $M_g$ is one-dimensional for all $g \in G$. Given a shift-invariant family of intermediate series $A$-modules parametrised by a scheme $X$, we construct a homomorphism $\Phi$ from $A$ to a skew-extension of ${\Bbbk}[X]$. The kernel of $\Phi$ consists of those elements which annihilate all modules in $X$.Comment: 9 pages; to appear in J. Algebr