Let $R$ be a commutative ring, let $R[n] := R[M_n^{\oplus d}]$ be the polynomial ring on $dn^2$ variables corresponding to the coordinates of $d$ $n\times n$ matrices. Let these matrix variables be $X_1,\ldots,X_d$. For an $n\times n$ matrix $A$, let $c_k(A)$ be the coefficient of $T^k$ in the characteristic polynomial $\det(A-TI)$. The group scheme $GL_{n,R}$ acts on $R[n]$ by simultaneous conjugation on the $d$ matrices. Clearly for any product $X_{i_1}X_{i_2}\cdots X_{i_r}$ (where $i_j\in[1\ldots d], r\ge 1$), the function $c_k(X_{i_1}\cdots X_{i_r})\in R[n]$ is invariant under $GL_{n,R}$. Is it true that for any commutative ring $R$, $R[n]^{GL_{n,R}}$ is generated as an $R$-algebra by the functions $c_k(X_{i_1}\cdots X_{i_r})$? (The statement over $\mathbb{C}$ is a classical result of Sibirski and Procesi. This was later extended to the case $R = \mathbb{Z}$ and $R$ any algebraically closed field by Donkin in [*Invariants of several matrices*](https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Stephen-Donkin/publication/226194761_Invariants_of_several_matrices/links/00b4951a7231dd4ed0000000/Invariants-of-several-matrices.pdf))