Separative exchange rings in which 2 is invertible

Abstract

An exchange ring $R$ is separative provided that for all finitely generated projective right $R$-modules $A$ and $B$, $A\oplus A\cong A\oplus B\cong B\oplus B⟹A\cong B$. Let $R$ be a separative exchange ring in which $2$ is invertible, and let $a-a^3\in R$ be regular. We prove, in this note, that $a\in R$ is unit-regular if $R(1-a^2)R=Rr(a)=\ell (a)$. An element $a$ in a ring $R$ is special clean if there exists an idempotent $e\in R$ such that $a-e\in R$ is a unit and $aR\bigcap eR=0$. Furthermore, we prove that $a\in R$ is special clean if $aR/ar(a^2),R/(aR+r(a))$ are projective, and $R(a-a^3)R=Rar(a^2)=\ell (a^2)aR$. These also extend the corresponding results in separative regular rings.