Maximal subrings of division rings

Abstract

The structure and the existence of maximal subrings in division rings are investigated. We see that if $R$ is a maximal subring of a division ring $D$ with center $F$ and $N(R)\ne U(R)\cup \{0\}$, where $N(R)$ is the normalizer of $R$ in $D$, then either $R$ is a division ring with $[D:R{]}_l=[D:R{]}_r<\infty$, or $R$ is an Ore $G$-domain with certain properties. In particular, if $F⊊C_D(R)$, the centralizer of $R$ in $D$, then $R=C_D(\beta )$ is a division ring, for each $\beta \in C_R(R)\setminus F$, $[D:R{]}_l$ is finite if and only if $\beta$ is algebraic over $F$, $[D:R{]}_l=[D:R{]}_r=[F[\beta ]:F]$ and $C_R(R)=F[\beta ]$. On the other hand, if $R$ does not contain $F$, then $R\cap F=C_R(R)$ is a maximal subring of $F$. Consequently, if a division ring $D$ has a noncentral element which is algebraic over the center of $D$, then $D$ has a maximal subring. In particular, we prove that if $D$ is a noncommutative division ring with center $F$, then either $D$ has a maximal subring or ${\dim }_F(D)\ge |F|$. We study when a maximal subring of a division ring is a left duo ring or certain valuation rings. Finally, we prove that if $D$ is an existentially complete division ring over a field $K$, then $D$ has a maximal subring of the form $C_D(x)$ where $D$ is finite over it. Moreover, if $R$ is a maximal subring of $D$ with $K⊊C_R(R)$, then $R=C_D(x)$ for some $x\in D\setminus K$, which is algebraic over $K$.