We study domination in zero-divisor graphs of matrix rings over a commutative ring with 1.

Let R be the ring of linear transformations of a right vector space over a division ring D. Three results are proved: (1) if |D|>4, then for any a∈R there exists a unit u of R such that a+u,a−u and a−u−1 are units of R; (2) if |D|>3 , then for any a∈R there exists a unit u of R such that both a+u and a−u−1 are units of R; (3) if |D|>2 , then for any a∈R there exists a unit u of R such that both a−u and a−u−1 are units of R. The second result extends the main result in H. Chen, [‘Decompositions of countable linear transformations’, Glasg. Math. J. (2010), doi:10.1017/S0017089510000121] and the third gives an affirmative answer to the question raised in the same paper.

In 1975, Symons described the automorphisms of the semigroup T(X,Y ) consisting of all total transformations from a set X into a fixed subset Y of X. Recently Sanwong, Singha and Sullivan determined all maximal (and all minimal) congruences on T(X,Y ), and Sommanee studied Green’s relations in T(X,Y ). Here, we describe Green’s relations and ideals for the semigroup T(V,W) consisting of all linear transformations from a vector space V into a fixed subspace W of V.

In this paper we consider collections of compact operators on a real or complex Banach space including linear operators on finite-dimensional vector spaces. We show that such a collection is simultaneously triangularizable if and only if it is arbitrarily close to a simultaneously triangularizable collection of compact operators. As an application of these results we obtain an invariant subspace theorem for certain bounded operators. We further prove that in finite dimensions near reducibility implies reducibility whenever the ground field is $\mathbb{R}$ or $\mathbb{C}$.