Non-commutative algebra $A$ with a non-trivial maximal ideal $M$ such that $A/M$ is not a division algebra

abstract-algebraalgebrasexamples-counterexamplesnoncommutative-algebraring-theory

By "ideal", I mean "two-sided ideal".

I'm looking for an example of a real/complex algebra $A$ which is non-commutative and has some maximal ideal $M$ with $\{0\}\subsetneq M\subsetneq A$ and $A/M$ is not a division algebra.

The counterexamples for

$$
M \text{ maximal ideal}\implies A/M \text{ division algebra}
$$

that I know of are $\mathbb{F}^{n\times n}$ (with $\mathbb F$ some field) and the Weyl algebra, but both of these are simple rings.

Best Answer

In other words you are looking for a ring with unique maximum ideal that is not simple and not local.

Take any noncommutative simple ring $R$ that is not a division ring. You said you knew a couple: you could take the two by two matrix ring over the reals or complex numbers.

Form the trivial extension $S=R\times R$ where the addition operation is coordinatewise and multiplication is $(a,b)(c,d)=(ac,ad+bc)$.

Since $I=\{0\}\times R$ is a nonzero nilpotent ideal, $S$ is not simple. Furthermore the maximal ideals of $S$ correspond to those of $S/I$ which is simple, so $I$ is the unique maximal ideal, but not the unique maximal right ideal (since $S/I$ lacks a unique maximal right ideal.)