In this paper, a new class of nonassociative algebras, Vidinli algebras, is defined based on recent work of Co & scedil;kun and Eden. These algebras are conic (or quadratic) algebras with the extra restriction that the commutator of any two elements is a scalar multiple of the unity. Over fields of characteristic not 2, Vidinli algebras may be considered as generalizations of the Jordan algebras of Clifford type. However, in characteristic 2, the class of Vidinli algebras is much larger and includes the unitizations of anticommutative algebras.

A scheme theoretic version of the automorphism group of a grading on an algebra is presented, and the classical result that shows that, over algebraically closed fields of characteristic 0, the automorphism group of a grading is the normalizer of its diagonal group is extended, over arbitrary fields, to this scheme setting. The quotient of the scheme theoretic versions of the automorphism group and the stabilizer of a grading turns out to be a constant group scheme, called the Weyl group scheme of the grading. For algebraically closed fields this is the constant group scheme associated to the ordinary Weyl group of the grading, but this fails over arbitrary fields.

A group grading on a semisimple Lie algebra over an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero is special if its identity component is zero; it is pure if at least one of its components, other than the identity component, contains a Cartan subalgebra. We classify special pure gradings on Lie algebras of types E6, E7, E8 up to equivalence and up to isomorphism. To this end, we use quadratic forms over the field of two elements to show that there are exactly three equivalence classes for E6, four for E7, and five for E8. The computation of the corresponding Weyl groups and their actions on the universal groups yields a set of invariants that allow us to distinguish the isomorphism classes. (c) 2026 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Composition algebras in symmetric tensor categories are defined. The classical results on standard unital composition algebras, as well as the classification of the unital composition superalgebras, are reviewed in light of this definition, and the unital composition algebras in the category Ver_4^+ (the counterpart to the category of vector superspaces in characteristic 2) are classified.

A Lie superalgebra is attached to any finite-dimensional J-ternary algebra over an algebraically closed field of characteristic 3, using a process of semisimplification via tensor categories. Some of the exceptional simple Lie algebras, specific of this characteristic, are obtained in this way from J-ternary algebras coming from structurable algebras and, in particular, a new magic square of Lie superalgebras is constructed, with entries depending on a pair of composition algebras.

We consider the problem of classifying gradings by groups on a finite-dimensional algebra A (with any number of multilinear operations) over an algebraically closed field. We introduce a class of gradings, which we call almost fine, such that every G-grading on A is obtained from an almost fine grading on A in an essentially unique way, which is not the case with fine gradings. For abelian groups, we give a method of obtaining all almost fine gradings if fine gradings are known. We apply these ideas to the case of semisimple Lie algebras in characteristic 0: to any abelian group grading with nonzero identity component, we attach a (possibly nonreduced) root system and, in the simple case, construct an adapted grading by this root system.

A group grading on a semisimple Lie algebra over an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero is special if its identity component is zero; it is pure if at least one of its components, other than the identity component, contains a Cartan subalgebra. We classify special pure gradings on Lie algebras of types $E_6$, $E_7$, $E_8$ up to equivalence and up to isomorphism. To this end, we use quadratic forms over the field of two elements to show that there are exactly three equivalence classes for $E_6$, four for $E_7$, and five for $E_8$. The computation of the corresponding Weyl groups and their actions on the universal groups yields a set of invariants that allow us to distinguish the isomorphism classes.

Kac's ten-dimensional simple Jordan superalgebra over a field of characteristic 5 is obtained from a process of semisimplification, via tensor categories, from the exceptional simple Jordan algebra (or Albert algebra), together with a suitable order 5 automorphism. This explains McCrimmon's 'bizarre result' asserting that, in characteristic 5, Kac's superalgebra is a sort of 'degree 3 Jordan superalgebra'. As an outcome, the exceptional simple Lie superalgebra el(5;5), specific of characteristic 5, is obtained from the simple Lie algebra of type $E_8$ and an order 5 automorphism. In the process, precise recipes to obtain superalgebras from algebras in the category of representations of the cyclic group $C_p$, over a field of characteristic $p>2$, are given.

Abstract$$\textbf{S}$$ S -structures on Lie algebras, introduced by Vinberg, represent a broad generalization of the notion of gradings by abelian groups. Gradings by, not necessarily reduced, root systems provide many examples of natural $$\textbf{S}$$ S -structures. Here we deal with a situation not covered by these gradings: the short $$(\textbf{SL}_2\times \textbf{SL}_2)$$ ( SL 2 × SL 2 ) -structures, where the reductive group is the simplest semisimple but not simple reductive group. The algebraic objects that coordinatize these structures are the J-ternary algebras of Allison, endowed with a nontrivial idempotent.

S-structures on Lie algebras, introduced by Vinberg, represent a broad generalization of the notion of gradings by abelian groups. Gradings by, not necessarily reduced, root systems provide many examples of natural S-structures. Here we deal with a situation not covered by these gradings: the short (SL2xSL2)-structures, where the reductive group is the simplest semisimple but not simple reductive group. The algebraic objects that coordinatize these structures are the J-ternary algebras of Allison, endowed with a nontrivial idempotent.

The nontrivial unital composition superalgebras, of dimension 3 and 6, which exist only in characteristic 3, are obtained from the split Cayley algebra and its order 3 automorphisms, by means of the process of semisimplification of the symmetric tensor category of representations of the cyclic group of order 3. Connections with the extended Freudenthal magic square in characteristic 3, that contains some exceptional Lie superalgebras specific of this characteristic are discussed too. In the process, precise recipes to go from (nonassociative) algebras in this tensor category to the corresponding superalgebras are given.

The present paper is devoted to the description of local and 2-local derivations and automorphisms on Cayley algebras over an arbitrary field F. Given a Cayley algebra C with norm n, let C0 be its subspace of trace 0 elements. We prove that the space of all local derivations of C coincides with the Lie algebra {d∈so(C,n)|d(1)=0} which is isomorphic to the orthogonal Lie algebra so(C0,n). Surprisingly, the behavior of 2-local derivations depends on the Cayley algebra being split or division. Every 2-local derivation on the split Cayley algebra is a derivation, so they are isomorphic to the exceptional Lie algebra g2(F) if charF≠2,3. On the other hand, on division Cayley algebras over a field F, the sets of 2-local derivations and local derivations coincide. As a corollary we obtain descriptions of local and 2-local derivations of the seven-dimensional simple non-Lie Malcev algebras over fields of characteristic ≠2,3. Further, we prove that the group of all local automorphisms of C coincides with the group {φ∈O(C,n)|φ(1)=1}. As in the case of 2-local derivations, the behavior of 2-local automorphisms depends on the Cayley algebra being split or division. Every 2-local automorphism on the split Cayley algebra is an automorphism, so they form the exceptional Lie group G2(F) if charF≠2,3. On the other hand, on division Cayley algebras over a field F, the groups of 2-local automorphisms and local automorphisms coincide.

Okubo algebras form an important class of nonunital composition algebras of dimension 8. Contrary to what happens for unital composition algebras, they are not determined by their multiplicative norms. Okubo algebras with isotropic norm are characterized here by the existence of a special grading. In the split case, and under some restrictions on the ground field, the automorphism group of the most symmetric of these gradings is the projective unitary group PU(3,4), whose structure is showcased by the grading.

A set grading on the split simple Lie algebra of type $D_{13}$, that cannot be realized as a group-grading, is constructed by splitting the set of positive roots into a disjoint union of pairs of orthogonal roots, following a pattern provided by the lines of the projective plane over $GF(3)$. This answers in the negative Question 1.11 in Elduque-Kochetov monograph (2013). Similar non-group gradings are obtained for types $D_n$ with $n$ congruent to 1 modulo 12, by substituting the lines in the projective plane by blocks of suitable Steiner systems.

We study gradings by abelian groups on associative algebras with involution over an arbitrary field. Of particular importance are the fine gradings (that is, those that do not admit a proper refinement), because any grading on a finite-dimensional algebra can be obtained from them via a group homomorphism (although not in a unique way). We classify up to equivalence the fine gradings on simple associative algebras with involution over the field of real numbers (or any real closed field) and, as a consequence, on the real forms of classical simple Lie algebras.

The simple symplectic triple systems over the real numbers are classified up to isomorphism, and linear models of all of them are provided. Besides the split cases, one for each complex simple Lie algebra, there are two kinds of non-split real simple symplectic triple systems with classical enveloping algebra, called unitarian and quaternionic types, and five non-split real simple symplectic triple systems with exceptional enveloping algebra.

Graded-division algebras are building blocks in the theory of finite-dimensional associative algebras graded by a group G. If G is abelian, they can be described, using a loop construction, in terms of central simple graded-division algebras. On the other hand, given a finite abelian group G, any central simple G-graded-division algebra over a field F is determined, thanks to a result of Picco and Platzeck, by its class in the (ordinary) Brauer group of F and the isomorphism class of a G-Galois extension of F. This connection is used to classify the simple G-Galois extensions of F in terms of a Galois field extension L/F with Galois group isomorphic to a quotient G/K and the class of a 2-cocycle of K with values in the multiplicative group of L modulo a 2-coboundary with values in the multiplicative group of F, subject to certain conditions. Non-simple G-Galois extensions are induced from simple T-Galois extensions for a subgroup T of G. We also classify finite-dimensional G-graded-division algebras and, as an application, finite G-graded-division rings.

The affine group schemes of automorphisms of the multilinear r-fold cross products on finite-dimensional vectors spaces over fields of characteristic not two are determined. Gradings by abelian groups on these structures, that correspond to morphisms from diagonalizable group schemes into these group schemes of automorphisms, are completely classified, up to isomorphism.