arXiv2026
We study differential polynomial rings $R[t;δ]$ over $Γ$-graded rings, where $Γ$ is an arbitrary group. We show that $R[t;δ]$ admits a $Γ$-grading compatible with that of $R$ if and only if $δ$ is a $γ$-derivation for some $γ\in C_Γ(Γ_R)$, and that this grading is unique once $°(t)=γ$ is fixed; if $δ\neq0$, then $γ$ is itself uniquely determined by $δ$. We characterize the resulting graded ring by a universal property. We prove a characteristic-free center criterion for gr-simplicity whenever $Z(R[t;δ])$ is a graded subring; in characteristic zero, gr-simplicity is equivalent to $δ$-gr-simplicity of $R$ and $γ$-outerness of $δ$, extending Jordan's simplicity criterion to the graded setting. We further show that $R[t;δ]$ is gr-prime if and only if $R$ is $δ$-gr-prime, and that gr-Noetherianity of $R$ passes to $R[t;δ]$, recovering a graded Hilbert basis theorem as a special case. When $Γ$ is abelian, gr-simplicity and gr-primality are shown to be invariants of homogeneous graded Morita equivalence, and every ring homogeneously graded equivalent to $R[t;δ]$ via a compatible idempotent is again a graded differential polynomial ring.