PI-Algebras with slow codimension growth

Abstract

Let $c_n(A),\ n=1,2,\ldots,$ be the sequence of codimensions of an algebra $A$ over a field $F$ of characteristic zero. We classify the algebras $A$ (up to PI-equivalence) in case this sequence is bounded by a linear function. We also show that this property is closely related to the following: if $l_n(A), \ n=1,2,\ldots, $ denotes the sequence of colengths of $A$, counting the number of $S_n$-irreducibles appearing in the $n$-th cocharacter of $A$, then $\lim_{n\to \infty} l_n(A)$ exists and is bounded by $2$.