mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

, a supercommutative (associative) algebra is a

superalgebra In mathematics and theoretical physics, a superalgebra is a Z2-graded algebra. That is, it is an algebra over a commutative ring or field with a decomposition into "even" and "odd" pieces and a multiplication operator that respects the grading. T ...

(i.e. a Z₂-

graded algebra In mathematics, in particular abstract algebra, a graded ring is a ring such that the underlying additive group is a direct sum of abelian groups R_i such that R_i R_j \subseteq R_. The index set is usually the set of nonnegative integers or the ...

) such that for any two

homogeneous element In mathematics, in particular abstract algebra, a graded ring is a ring such that the underlying additive group is a direct sum of abelian groups R_i such that R_i R_j \subseteq R_. The index set is usually the set of nonnegative integers or the ...

s ''x'', ''y'' we have :

yx = (-1)^xy ,

where , ''x'', denotes the grade of the element and is 0 or 1 (in Z) according to whether the grade is even or odd, respectively. Equivalently, it is a superalgebra where the

supercommutator In mathematics, a Lie superalgebra is a generalisation of a Lie algebra to include a Z2 grading. Lie superalgebras are important in theoretical physics where they are used to describe the mathematics of supersymmetry. In most of these theories, ...

,y = xy - (-1)^yx

always vanishes. Algebraic structures which supercommute in the above sense are sometimes referred to as skew-commutative associative algebras to emphasize the anti-commutation, or, to emphasize the grading, graded-commutative or, if the supercommutativity is understood, simply commutative. Any

commutative algebra Commutative algebra, first known as ideal theory, is the branch of algebra that studies commutative rings, their ideals, and modules over such rings. Both algebraic geometry and algebraic number theory build on commutative algebra. Prom ...

is a supercommutative algebra if given the trivial gradation (i.e. all elements are even).

Grassmann algebra In mathematics, the exterior algebra, or Grassmann algebra, named after Hermann Grassmann, is an algebra that uses the exterior product or wedge product as its multiplication. In mathematics, the exterior product or wedge product of vectors is a ...

s (also known as

exterior algebra In mathematics, the exterior algebra, or Grassmann algebra, named after Hermann Grassmann, is an algebra that uses the exterior product or wedge product as its multiplication. In mathematics, the exterior product or wedge product of vectors is a ...

s) are the most common examples of nontrivial supercommutative algebras. The supercenter of any superalgebra is the set of elements that supercommute with all elements, and is a supercommutative algebra. The

even subalgebra In mathematics and theoretical physics, a superalgebra is a Z2- graded algebra. That is, it is an algebra over a commutative ring or field with a decomposition into "even" and "odd" pieces and a multiplication operator that respects the grading. ...

of a supercommutative algebra is always a

. That is, even elements always commute. Odd elements, on the other hand, always anticommute. That is, :

xy + yx = 0\,

for odd ''x'' and ''y''. In particular, the square of any odd element ''x'' vanishes whenever 2 is invertible: :

x^2 = 0 .

Thus a commutative superalgebra (with 2 invertible and nonzero degree one component) always contains

nilpotent In mathematics, an element x of a ring R is called nilpotent if there exists some positive integer n, called the index (or sometimes the degree), such that x^n=0. The term was introduced by Benjamin Peirce in the context of his work on the cl ...

elements. A Z-graded anticommutative algebra with the property that for every element ''x'' of odd grade (irrespective of whether 2 is invertible) is called an

alternating algebra In mathematics, an alternating algebra is a -graded algebra for which for all nonzero homogeneous elements and (i.e. it is an anticommutative algebra) and has the further property that for every homogeneous element of odd degree. Examples ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Supercommutative Algebra Algebras Super linear algebra

See also

References