PRIME IDEALS IN RINGS WITH INVOLUTION

Abstract

Let R be a ring with involution *. We show that if R is a *-prime ring which is not a prime ring, then R is “essentially” a direct product of two prime rings. Moreover, if P is a *-prime *-ideal of R, which is not a prime ideal of R, and X is minimal among prime ideals of R containing P, then P is a prime ideal of X, P = X ∩ X* and either: (1) P is essential in X and X is essential in R; or (2) for any relative complement C of P in X, then C* is a relative complement of X in R. Further characterizations of *-primeness are provided.