Automorphisms and Derivations of Associative Rings

The theory of automorphisms and derivations of associative rings is a direct descendant of the development of classical Galois theory and the theory of invariants. This volume presents a comprehensive overview of the methods and results of that theory, which has been greatly enriched during the last twenty years. Some of the material included appears for the first time. Among the problems discussed in this book are the following: construction of a Galois theory for prime and semiprime rings and its application to domains and free algebras; investigation of the problems of the algebraic dependence of automorphisms and derivations; studies of the fixed rings for finite groups and rings of constants for differential Lie algebras acting on the rings; non-commutative invariants of linear groups; theorems of finite groups acting on modular lattices; actions of Hopf algebras. The monograph is meant for specialists in algebra, but it can also be useful for a wider range of mathematicians. The inclusions in the book of the latest achievements on the structural theory of rings with generalized identities makes it desirable reading for graduate students as well.