2-clean rings

Abstract

A ring $R$ is said to be $n$-clean if every element can be written as a sum of an idempotent and $n$ units. The class of these rings contains clean ring and $n$-good rings in which each element is a sum of $n$ units. In this paper, we show that for any ring $R$, the endomorphism ring of a free $R$-module of rank at least 2 is 2-clean and that the ring $B(R)$ of all $\omega \times \omega$ row and column-finite matrices over any ring $R$ is 2-clean. Finally, the group ring $R{C}_n$ is considered where $R$ is a local ring. \vskip 0.5cm {\bf Key words:}\quad 2-clean rings, 2-good rings, free modules, row and column-finite matrix rings, group rings.

11 pages