English

The twisted group algebra structure of the Cayley-Dickson algebra

Rings and Algebras 2023-03-14 v2

Abstract

The Cayley-Dickson algebra has long been a challenge due to the lack of an explicit multiplication table. Despite being constructible through inductive construction, its explicit structure has remained elusive until now. In this article, we propose a solution to this long-standing problem by revealing the Cayley-Dickson algebra as a twisted group algebra with an explicit twist function σ(A,B)\sigma(A,B). We show that this function satisfies the equation eAeB=(1)σ(A,B)eABe_Ae_B=(-1)^{\sigma(A,B)}e_{A\oplus B} and provide a formula for the relationship between the Cayley-Dickson algebra and split Cayley-Dickson algebra, thereby giving an explicit expression for the twist function of the split Cayley-Dickson algebra. Our approach not only resolves the lack of explicit structure for the Cayley-Dickson algebra and split Cayley-Dickson algebra but also sheds light on the algebraic structure underlying this fundamental mathematical object.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2205.07986,
  title  = {The twisted group algebra structure of the Cayley-Dickson algebra},
  author = {Guangbin Ren and Xin Zhao},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2205.07986},
  year   = {2023}
}