\documentclass[11pt,reqno]{amsart} \usepackage[T1]{fontenc} \usepackage{lmodern} \usepackage{amsmath,amssymb,amsfonts,mathtools} \usepackage{microtype} \usepackage{needspace} \usepackage{booktabs} \usepackage{hyperref} \hypersetup{hidelinks,pdfauthor={Y. T. Miah},pdftitle={Images of Multilinear Polynomials with a Standard-Polynomial Unit Specialization},pdfsubject={Multilinear polynomial images of matrix algebras},pdfkeywords={L'vov--Kaplansky conjecture; multilinear polynomials; standard polynomial; matrix image; polynomial identities}} \urlstyle{same} \newcommand{\M}{M_n(K)} \newcommand{\slie}{\mathfrak{sl}_n(K)} \newcommand{\im}{\operatorname{im}} \newcommand{\tr}{\operatorname{tr}} \newcommand{\Id}{I} \newcommand{\Mat}[1]{M_{#1}(K)} \newcommand{\dd}{\mathrm d} \newcommand{\doi}[1]{\href{https://doi.org/#1}{\textup{doi: #1}}} \theoremstyle{plain} \newtheorem{theorem}{Theorem}[section] \newtheorem{lemma}[theorem]{Lemma} \newtheorem{proposition}[theorem]{Proposition} \newtheorem{corollary}[theorem]{Corollary} \theoremstyle{definition} \newtheorem{definition}[theorem]{Definition} \newtheorem{remark}[theorem]{Remark} \numberwithin{equation}{section} \title[Multilinear images with a standard-polynomial specialization]{Images of Multilinear Polynomials with a Standard-Polynomial Unit Specialization} \author{Y. T. Miah} \date{8 November 2026} \subjclass[2020]{Primary 16R10; Secondary 15A24, 16R30} \keywords{L'vov--Kaplansky conjecture, multilinear polynomial, standard polynomial, matrix polynomial image, matrix identities, regular differential} \begin{document} \begin{abstract} For $r=3,4,5$, consider an ordinary multilinear polynomial $f(Y,X_1,\ldots,X_{2r})$ whose specialization at $Y=I$ is a nonzero scalar multiple of the standard polynomial $s_{2r}$. Over an algebraically closed field $K$ of characteristic zero, we prove that for every $n\ge r+1$ the set of its individual values on $M_n(K)$ is $\mathfrak{sl}_n(K)$ if its trace vanishes identically, and $M_n(K)$ otherwise. This includes arbitrary proper perturbations of $s_7,s_9,s_{11}$. The proof combines exact standard-polynomial core constructions, additive size transfer, and a mixed-frame compatibility lemma with a local lifting criterion of Pan. \end{abstract} \maketitle \section{Introduction and statement} The L'vov--Kaplansky problem asks whether the set of values of an ordinary multilinear noncommutative polynomial on a full matrix algebra is always a vector subspace \cite{KBRY2020}. We study a class determined by setting one designated variable equal to the identity. Throughout, an image means the set of individual matrix evaluations, rather than its linear span or Zariski closure. Let $K$ be an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero. Write $M_n(K)$ for the algebra of $n\times n$ matrices over $K$, $\mathfrak{sl}_n(K)$ for its trace-zero subspace, and $\im_n f$ for the image of a polynomial $f$ on $M_n(K)$. For $d\ge1$ the unnormalised standard polynomial is \begin{equation}\label{eq:std} s_d(X_1,\ldots,X_d)=\sum_{\sigma\in S_d}\operatorname{sgn}(\sigma)X_{\sigma(1)}\cdots X_{\sigma(d)}. \end{equation} A polynomial is \emph{ordinary multilinear} if every monomial contains each of its named variables exactly once. The hypothesis includes arbitrary proper perturbations of odd standard polynomials. Here a multilinear polynomial is \emph{proper} if substituting the identity in any one of its variables gives the zero formal polynomial. Nonproper perturbations are also permitted. Our proof uses geometric image methods developed by Tang \cite[Lemmas~2--3]{Tang2026} and Pan \cite[\S9.3, Corollary~9.7]{Pan2026}, alongside classical matrix-identity work \cite{AL1950,Leron1973,Rowen1974,Serre2016}. \Needspace{17\baselineskip} \begin{theorem}[Standard-unit restriction in three odd degrees]\label{thm:main} Let $K$ be algebraically closed of characteristic zero. Let $r\in\{3,4,5\}$ and $n\ge r+1$, and let \[ f(Y,X_1,\ldots,X_{2r})\in K\langle Y,X_1,\ldots,X_{2r}\rangle \] be any ordinary multilinear polynomial. Suppose that, as a formal polynomial, \begin{equation}\label{eq:unit} f(I,X_1,\ldots,X_{2r})=\lambda s_{2r}(X_1,\ldots,X_{2r}),\qquad \lambda\in K^\times. \end{equation} Then \begin{equation}\label{eq:main} \im_n f=\begin{cases} \mathfrak{sl}_n(K),&\tr f(A)=0\text{ for every }A\in\Mat n^{\,2r+1},\\ M_n(K),&\tr f(A)\ne0\text{ for some }A\in\Mat n^{\,2r+1}. \end{cases} \end{equation} These are degrees $7$, $9$ and $11$, with matrix orders $n\ge4$, $n\ge5$ and $n\ge6$, respectively. \end{theorem} The standard-polynomial classification \cite[Theorem~1.1]{Miah2026Standard} gives $\im_n s_{2r}=\mathfrak{sl}_n(K)$ in these ranges, yielding the trace-zero case by setting $Y=I$. For a polynomial with nonzero trace, the main challenge is to find a regular rank-one square-zero value of $s_{2r}$ and a nonzero cyclic trace gradient at the same tuple of the remaining inputs. Our mixed-frame lemma makes these conditions compatible, including at the sharp degree-$2N$ identity boundary. Twelve exact core witnesses and additive size transfer produce the required regular standard-polynomial values. \section{Local actual-image lifting}\label{sec:local} \begin{lemma}[Rank-one nilpotent propagation; cf. Tang]\label{lem:propagate} Let $n\ge2$ and let $F$ be a polynomial map from an affine space into $V$, where $V$ is either $\mathfrak{sl}_n(K)$ or $M_n(K)$. Suppose its image is stable under conjugation and nonzero scalar multiplication. If $F(a)=R$ is nonzero, rank one and square zero, and $\dd F_a$ is surjective onto $V$, then the image of $F$ contains every nonscalar matrix in $V$. If $V=\mathfrak{sl}_n(K)$ and $0$ also lies in the image, the image is all of $V$. \end{lemma} \begin{proof} Surjectivity of the differential between smooth affine varieties makes $F$ smooth at $a$, and its image contains a Zariski-open neighbourhood $U$ of $R$ (after restricting to a neighbourhood of $a$). Given a nonscalar $T\in V$, choose a basis with $T_{12}\ne0$. For $D(t)=\operatorname{diag}(t^{-1},t,1,\ldots,1)$ the matrix \[ t^2D(t)TD(t)^{-1} \] extends polynomially to $t=0$ and has value $T_{12}E_{12}$ there. Conjugation and nonzero scaling identify this value with $R$. The inverse image of the corresponding open neighbourhood of $R$ on the affine $t$-line contains $0$, hence also some $t\in K^\times$. Stability under conjugation and scaling then puts $T$ in $\im F$. In the traceless case the only scalar is $0$. \end{proof} \Needspace{9\baselineskip} \begin{lemma}[Scalar values; cf. Tang]\label{lem:scalar} If an ordinary multilinear polynomial $f$ has an evaluation of nonzero trace on $M_n(K)$, then $\im_n f$ contains every scalar matrix. \end{lemma} \begin{proof} Choose clock-and-shift matrices $U,V$ with $VU=\zeta UV$, where $\zeta$ is a primitive $n$th root of unity. The $n^2$ matrices $U^aV^b$ ($0\le a,b