The Scheme of Monogenic Generators and its Twists

Given an extension of algebras $B/A$, when is $B$ generated by a single element $\theta \in B$ over $A$? We show there is a scheme $\mathcal{M}_{B/A}$ parameterizing the choice of a generator $\theta \in B$, a "moduli space" of generators. This scheme relates naturally to Hilbert schemes and configuration spaces. We give explicit equations and ample examples. A choice of a generator $\theta$ is a point of the scheme $\mathcal{M}_{B/A}$. This inspires a local-to-global study of monogeneity, piecing together monogenerators over points, completions, open sets, and so on. Local generators may not come from global ones, but they often glue to twisted monogenerators that we define. We show a number ring has class number one if and only if each twisted monogenerator is in fact a global generator $\theta$. The moduli spaces of various twisted monogenerators are either a Proj or stack quotient of $\mathcal{M}_{B/A}$ by natural symmetries. The various moduli spaces defined can be used to apply cohomological tools and other geometric methods for finding rational points to the classical problem of monogenic algebra extensions.