An textit{algebraic} action of a discrete group $Gamma $ is a homomorphism from $Gamma $ to the group of continuous automorphisms of a compact abelian group $X$. By duality, such an action of $Gamma $ is determined by a module $M=widehat{X}$ over the integer group ring $mathbb{Z}Gamma $ of $Gamma $. The simplest examples of such modules are of the form $M=mathbb{Z}Gamma /mathbb{Z}Gamma f$ with $fin mathbb{Z}Gamma $; the corresponding algebraic action is the textit{principal algebraic $Gamma $-action} $alpha _f$ defined by $f$. In this note we prove the following extensions of results by Hayes cite{Hayes} on ergodicity of principal algebraic actions: If $Gamma $ is a countably infinite discrete group which is not virtually cyclic, and if $finmathbb{Z}Gamma $ satisfies that right multiplication by $f$ on $ell ^2(Gamma ,mathbb{R})$ is injective, then the principal $Gamma $-action $alpha _f$ is ergodic (Theorem ref{t:ergodic2}). If $Gamma $ contains a finitely generated subgroup with a single end (e.g. a finitely generated amenable subgroup which is not virtually cyclic), or an infinite nonamenable subgroup with vanishing first $ell ^2$-Betti number (e.g., an infinite property $T$ subgroup), the injectivity condition on $f$ can be replaced by the weaker hypothesis that $f$ is not a right zero-divisor in $mathbb{Z}Gamma $ (Theorem ref{t:ergodic1}). Finally, if $Gamma $ is torsion-free, not virtually cyclic, and satisfies Linnells textit{analytic zero-divisor conjecture}, then $alpha _f$ is ergodic for every $fin mathbb{Z}Gamma $ (Remark ref{r:analytic zero divisor}).
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