We determine sufficient criteria for the prime spectrum of an ambiskew polynomial algebra R over an algebraically closed field 𝕂 to be akin to those of two of the principal examples of such an algebra, namely the universal enveloping algebra U(sl2) (in characteristic 0) and its quantization Uq(sl2) (when q is not a root of unity). More precisely, we determine sufficient criteria for the prime spectrum of R to consist of 0, the ideals (z − λ)R for some central element z of R and all λ ∈ 𝕂, and, for some positive integer d and each positive integer m, d height two prime ideals P for which R/P has Goldie rank m.

A ring R has right property (A) whenever a finitely generated two-sided ideal of R consisting entirely of left zero-divisors has a non-zero right annihilator. As the main result of this paper we give answers to two questions related to property (A), raised by Hong et al. One of the questions has a positive answer and we obtain it as a simple conclusion of the fact that if R is a right duo ring and M is a u.p.-monoid (unique product monoid), then R is right M-McCoy and the monoid ring R[M] has right property (A). The second question has a negative answer and we demonstrate this by constructing a suitable example.

This paper continues the investigation of semigroup constructions motivated by applications in data mining. We give a complete description of the error-correcting capabilities of a large family of clusterers based on Rees matrix semigroups well known in semigroup theory. This result strengthens and complements previous formulas recently obtained in the literature. Examples show that our theorems do not generalize to other classes of semigroups.

In this paper we introduce the notion of weak zip rings and investigate their properties. We mainly prove that a ring R is right (left) weak zip if and only if for any n, the n-by-n upper triangular matrix ring Tn(R) is right (left) weak zip. Let α be an endomorphism and δ an α-derivation of a ring R. Then R is a right (left) weak zip ring if and only if the skew polynomial ring R[x; α, δ] is a right (left) weak zip ring when R is (α, δ)-compatible and reversible.