Let $\mathcal{V}$ be a variety of associative algebras generated by an algebra with 1 over a field of characteristic zero. This paper is devoted to the classification of the varieties $\mathcal{V}$ that are minimal of polynomial growth (i.e., their sequence of codimensions grows like ${{n}^{k}}$, but any proper subvariety grows like ${{n}^{t}}$ with $t\,<\,k$). These varieties are the building blocks of general varieties of polynomial growth.

It turns out that for $k\,\le \,4$ there are only a finite number of varieties of polynomial growth ${{n}^{k}}$, but for each $k\,>\,4$, the number of minimal varieties is at least $\left| F \right|$, the cardinality of the base field, and we give a recipe for their construction.

We investigate the intersection of two finitely generated submonoids of the free monoid on a finite alphabet. To this purpose, we consider automata that recognize such submonoids and we study the product automata recognizing their intersection. By using automata methods we obtain a new proof of a result of Karhumäki on the characterization of the intersection of two submonoids of rank two, in the case of prefix (or suffix) generators. In a more general setting, for an arbitrary number of generators, we prove that if H and K are two finitely generated submonoids generated by prefix sets such that the product automaton associated to $H \cap K$ has a given special property then $\widetilde{rk}(H \cap K) \leq \widetilde{rk}(H) \widetilde{rk}(K)$ where $\widetilde{rk}(L)=\max(0,rk(L)-1)$ for any submonoid L.

Let RG denote the group ring of a group G over a semiprime ring R. We prove that, if the center of G is of finite index and some natural restrictions hold, then every R-derivation of RG is inner. We also give an example of a group G which is both locally finite and nilpotent and such that, for every field F, there exists an F-derivation of FG which is not inner.

Let M2(K, *) be the algebra of 2 × 2 matrices with involution over a field K of characteristic 0. We obtain the exact values of the cocharacters, codimensions and Hilbert series of the *-T-ideal of the polynomial identities for M2(K, *).