International Journal of Algebra, Vol. 2, 2008, no.

18, 895 - 904

Rings with nice Artinian Modules

Aziz El Mejdani

Université Abdelmalek Essaadi

Département de Mathématiques et Informatique Faculté des sciences
B.P. 2121 Tetouan, Morocco
[email protected]

Hassan Essannouni

Université Mohamed V-Agdal

B.P.1014 Rabat, Morocco
[email protected]

Amin Kaidi

Departamento de Álgebra y Análisis Matemático

La Canada de San Urbano, 04120- Almeria, Spain
[email protected]

Abstract

Over a Dedekind domain D, every artinian D-module M is a direct

sum of a module of finite length and of a finite number of injective hulls
n
of simple modules, M = F ⊕ ( E(Si )). In this paper we give more
i=1
general examples of classes of rings over which the artinian modules have
the same decomposition and we characterize commutative co-noetherian
rings having this property.

Mathematics Subject Classification (2000): 16D70, 16P20

Keywords: Artinian modules, Injective hulls, Dedekind domains, Almost

finitely generated modules

1 Introduction
It is well Known that an artinian module over a Dedekind domain D is a direct
sum of a module of finite length and of a finite number of injective hulls of
896 A. Kaidi, A. Mejdani and M. Essanouni


n
simple modules, M = F ⊕ ( E(Si )).
i=1
This leads us to study the rings over which injective hull of each simple module
is artinian, with an aim of establishing the structure of the artinian modules
over more general rings. Such rings have been studied by Vámos[16], J.P.Jans
[7] and Gupta and Varadarajan [3]. A particular case of this situation was
approached by Rosenberg and Zelinsky [14] in their studies on finiteness of the
injective hull of a module of finite length. They showed that for a commutative
ring R, the injective hull of each simple module has finite length if and only if,
for each maximal ideal m of R , the localization Rm of R at m is an artinian
ring. Vámos [16] studied the commutative rings with the property ”every
finitely cogenerated module is artinian”, this is equivalent to the fact that
the injective hull of each simple left module is artinian. He has shown that
a ring R has this property if and only if, for each maximal ideal m of R, the
localization Rm of R at m is a noetherian ring. J.P.Jans in [7] considered rings
with the property that factors of finitely cogenerated left modules are finitely
cogenerated. This is equivalent to the property of Vámos. He has called
such ring R left co-noetherian and gave some of their property. Gupta and
Varadarajan, in [3] have shown that a ring R is left co-noetherian if and only
if there is a cogenerator for mod-R which is a direct sum of Artinian modules.
Recently, Hirano in [6] characterized left co-noetherian ring and gave examples
of noncommutative noetherian rings which are left co-noetherian.
In Section 2, we present some examples and properties of co-noetherian rings.
Next we prove that if R is a semilocal ring, J its Jacobson radical and E =
ER (R/J) the injective hull of R/J, then R is left co-noetherian if and only
if EndR (E) is left noetherian. In commutative case if R is a semilocal co-
noetherian ring then R is noetherian. In Sections 3 and 4, We study the
commutative rings R which check the property : for every artinian R-module
n
M we have M = F ⊕ ( E(Si )) where F is a module of finite length and
i=1
E(Si ) is the injective hull of simple left R-module Si . In the end we give a
characterization of commutative co-noetherian rings having this property.

2 Co-noetherian rings
2.1 Co-noetherian rings
Following Jans [7], a ring R is said to be left co-noetherian if the injective hull
of each simple left R-module is artinian. This is equivalent to a property (P ) of
Vámos [16] that ”every finitely cogenerated left R-module is artinian”. Matlis
in [10] proved that the injective hull of a simple module over a commutative
noetherian ring is artinian. However, there exists a left and right artinian ring
Rings with nice Artinian modules 897

( Example 7.14 of Chatters and Hajarnavis, [1]), which is not a co-noetherian

ring. Left v-rings are co-noetherian rings. In general the rings over which
the injective hull of each simple module has finite length (called π-v-ring in
[6]). In ([8], theorem 2) Jategaonkar proved that the injective hull of a simple
module over a noetherian P.I-ring is an artinian module. Carl Faith [2], noted
that each injective module over a quasi-Frobenius ring is a direct sum of cyclic
modules, so quasi-Frobenius rings are co-noetherian rings.
A domain R is said to be almost Dedekind provided that, for each maximal
ideal m of R, the localization Rm is a discrete rank one valuation domain(a
noetherian valuation domain). As a result, Almost Dedekind domain are co-
noetherian rings.
Consider any system of submodules {Mi }i∈I in an R-module M, and elements
mi ∈ M indexed by the same set I. We say that the system {mi , Mi }i∈I is
finitely solvable if, for any finite subset J ⊆ I, there exists an element mJ ∈ M
such that mJ ≡ mj (modMj ) for all j ∈ J. Similarly, we say that {mi , Mi }i∈I
is solvable if there exists m ∈ M such that m ≡ mi (modMi ) for all i ∈ I.

Definition 2.1 (T.Y.LAM, Definition 19.57, [9]) A module M is said to

be linearly compact (l.c.) if every finitely solvable system in M is solvable.
It is easily seen that any artinian module is l.c. The converse is false.
Following Vámos [17], a ring is defined to be (left) classical if E(S) is lin-
early compact for each simple left R-module S, so left co-noetherian rings are
classical.

2.2 Some properties of co-noetherians rings

Proposition 2.2 [7] and [16]. Let R be a ring , the following are equiva-
lent:
(i) R is left co-noetherian,
(ii) An R-module M is artinian if and only if M is a sub-module of a finite
direct sum of injective hulls of simple modules,
(iii) For every artinian R-module M we have : E(M) is artinian,
(iv) An R-module M is artinian if and only if M is finitely cogenerated,
(v) Every R-homomorphic image of R is left co-noetherian ring.
Proposition 2.3 Let R be a ring , the following are equivalent:
(1) R is left co-noetherian left artinian ring,
(2) Every injective R-module is a direct sum of finite length modules,
(3) Every injective R-module is a direct sum of finitely generated modules.
Proof: (1 ⇒ 2) If R is a left co-noetherian left artinian ring and M is an
injective R-module then M is a direct sum of E(Si ) where Si are simple R-
modules. E(Si ) are artinian, so M is a direct sum of finite length modules.
898 A. Kaidi, A. Mejdani and M. Essanouni

(2 ⇒ 3) evident. (3 ⇒ 1) According to ([13], Theorem 4.3.8 ) R is left artinian

ring. If S is a simple R-module, E(S) is injective and indecomposable and is
it of finite length. 2

Theorem 2.4 If R is a co-noetherian semilocal commutative ring then R

is noetherian .

n
Proof: Let the injective hull E = ER (R/J) = ER (Si ) , where Si are simple
i=1
R-modules and J the Jacobson radical of R. Let O = I0 ⊆ I1 ⊆ I2 ⊆ I3 ⊆
I4 ⊆ ...... an ascending chain of ideals of R. Let Li = AnnE (Ii ), then we have:
E ⊇ L1 ⊇ L2 ⊇ ....... and there exists an integer k such that: Lk = Lk+j
for all j ≥ 1. According to Rosenberg and Zelinsky ([14], lemma 1) we have
HomA (Ik+j /Ik , E) Lk /Lk+j = 0. Since E is a cogenerator we have Ik+j = Ik
for all j ≥ 1 so R is noetherian. 2

Theorem 2.5 Let R be a semilocal ring, J its Jacobson radical and E =

ER (R/J) the injective hull of R/J. The following statements are equivalent.
i) R is left co-noetherian.
ii) EndR (E) is left noetherian .

Before showing the theorem we will give this lemma which has an independent
interest.

Lemma 2.6 Let R be a ring, E an injective R-module and S = End(E) .

Then:
i) If E is artinian then for every left ideal I of S, annS (annE (I)) = I,
ii) If E is a cogenerator for mod − R then for every submodule F of E we have
annE (annS (F )) = F .

Proof: Let F = annE (I) = ∩ kerf . Since E is artinian then there ex-
f ∈I
n
ists f1 , .....fn ∈ I such that F = ∩ kerfi . It is clear that I ⊆ annS (F ).
i=1
n
Let us show that annS (F ) ⊆ I. Let σ : E/F → (E/kerfi ) Such that
i=1
σ(x + f ) = (x + kerfi )1≤i≤n : (x ∈ E). σ is a monorphism. Let g ∈ annS (F ),
then F ⊆ Kerg. Let g : E/F → E such that g(x + F ) = g(x) : (x ∈ E).
n
There exists λ : (E/kerfi ) → E such that the following diagram commutes:
i=1

σ/ 
n
E/F (E/kerfi )
KK
KK i=1
KK
KK λ
g KKK
KK 
%
E
Rings with nice Artinian modules 899

For each 1 ≤ j ≤ n we define the element gj of S given by gj (x) = λμj (x +


n
kerfj ) were x ∈ E and μj : E/kerfi → (E/kerfi ) is the canonical injection.
i=1
Since kerfj ⊆ kergj for every j ∈ {1, ...., n} and E is injective, there exists

n 
n
hj ∈ S such that gj = hj fj . Thus g = gj = hj fj ∈ I
j=1 j=1
ii) Let U = annS (F ) = {f ∈ S/F ⊆ kerf }. We have F ⊆ annE (U). Let
us show that annE (U) ⊆ F . Since E is a cogenerator, there exists (fα )α ⊆ S
  
such that F = kerfa , annE (U) = kerf ⊆ kerfα = F 2
α f ∈U α
Proof: (of the Theorem): i) ⇒ ii) R/J = T1 ⊕ ... ⊕ Tn were Ti are simple R-
n
modules. E = ER (Ti ) is artinian, according to ( lemma 2.6, (i)) EndR (E)
i=1
is noetherian. ii) ⇒ i) E is a cogenerator for mod-R. Thus, according to
(lemma 2.6, (ii)) E is artinian and thereafter for any simple R-module T ,
ER (T ) is artinian. 2

3 Commutative rings having nice artinian mod-

ules
Definition 3.1 [18]: An R-module M is almost finitely generated (a.f.g.)
if M is not finitely generated as an R-module but every proper R-submodule of
M is finitely generated.

Examples 3.2 1) For any integral prime p, the abelian group Zp∞ is almost
finitely generated Z-module, since every proper subgroup of Zp∞ is cyclic.
2) If R is a discrete valuation ring, then the field of fractions of R, Q(R) is
an almost finitely generated R-module.

Proposition 3.3 [18] : Let R be a ring, not necessarily commutative. Let

M be an almost finitely generated R-module and T = EndR (M), the ring of
R-endomorphisms of M. Then :
1) For any proper R-submodule K of M, M/K is an almost finitely generated
R-module.
2) M is indecomposable.
3) For any h ∈ T with h = 0 , we have h(M) = M, and T is a (possibly
noncommutative) domain. If R is commutative, then AnnR (M) is a prime
ideal of R and M is a divisible module over the domain R/AnnR (M) .

Definition 3.4 We will say that a ring R has nice artinian modules if, for
n
any artinian R-module M we have: M = F ⊕ ( E(Si )) where F is a R-
i=1
900 A. Kaidi, A. Mejdani and M. Essanouni

module of finite length and E(Si ) is the injective hull of simple left R-module
Si .

Examples 3.5 Dedekind domains and v-rings have nice artinian modules.

The following propositions will enable us to give more general examples of

rings having nice artinian modules.

Proposition 3.6 Let R be a domain of Krull dimension 1 such that : every

artinian divisible R-module is injective. Then for every artinian R-module M

n
we have : M = F ⊕ ( E(Si )) were F is a R-module of finite length and (Si )
i=1
is the injective hull of simple left R-modules Si .

Proof: Let M be an artinian R-module, so M = L ⊕ I were I is an artinian

injective R-module and L an artinian R-module who has no nonzero injective
n
submodule. I = E(I) = E(Si ), it remains to be shown that L is finite
i=1
length. Suppose that L is not finitely generated (according to [16] if R is a
commutative ring then a module M has finite length if and only if it is finitely
generated and artinian). Since L is artinian, it contains a submodule N which
is minimal with respect to the property of not being finitely generated. N
is an artinian almost finitely generated. If AnnR (N) = P then P is a prime
ideal of R by (proposition 3.3), so P = (0) or P is maximal. If P is maximal
then N is an artinian almost finitely generated R/P -module, a contradiction
because a vector space cannot be almost finitely generated thus P = (0) and N
is a divisible R-module (proposition 3.3), so N is an injective R-module what
contradicts the fact that L does not contain any nonzero injective submodule
from where L is of finite length. 2
In the following proposition we give examples checking the conditions of the
preceding proposition.

Proposition 3.7 If R is a Prüfer domain of Krull dimension 1 then every

artinian divisible R-module M is injective.

Proof: Indeed, according to [4], over a Prüfer domain, linearly compact divis-
ible modules are injective. Or, every artinian module is linearly compact and
since M is divisible so it is injective ([4], Theorem 4.1 page 316). 2

Remark 3.8 There are examples of Prüfer domains of Krull dimension 1

which are not Dedekind domains, example(5.5) and example(7.3) ([4], chIII)
give almost Dedekind domains which are not Dedekind domains.
Rings with nice Artinian modules 901

Proposition 3.9 Let R be a commutative ring, the following statements

are equivalent.
i) R has nice artinian modules ;
ii) Rm has nice artinian modules for every maximal ideal m of R .

Proof: i) ⇒ ii) Let m be a maximal ideal of R and M an artinian Rm -

module. For any element x of M there exists k ≥ 0 such that mkm x = 0. M
has a natural structure as R-module ( rx = r1 x : r ∈ R, x ∈ M). Let N be
a R-submodule of M then N  = { 1 x/s ∈ m et x ∈ N} is a Rm -submodule de
s
M. Suppose that N1 and N2 are R-submodules of M such that N1 ⊆ N2 and
1 = N
N 2 . Let x ∈ N2 , x = 1 y with s ∈ m and y ∈ N1 thus sx ∈ N1 . Let k
s
an integral such that mkm x = 0. One can find r ∈ R and u ∈ mk such that
rs + u = 1, x = rsx + ux = r(sx) ∈ N1 . Thus N1 = N2 . As a result, M is
 n
an artinian R-module. So M = F ⊕ ( E(Si )) were F is a R-submodule of
i=1
finite length, and Si a simple R-module (1 ≤ i ≤ n). It is easy to see that F ,
E(Si ), i = 1, 2, ...n are Rm -modules, Si are simple Rm -modules and for each
(1 ≤ i ≤ n), E(Si ) = ERm (Si ). Thus Rm has nice artinian modules.
ii) ⇒ i) Let M be an artinian R-module. According to ([15], lemma 1.7) we
can suppose that there is a maximum ideal m of R such that for each x ∈ M,
there exists an integral k ≥ 1 such that mk x = 0. for s ∈ (R − m), the map
M → M, x → sx is an automorphism of M. So M is an Rm -module, with
respect : rs x = ry were x = sy (r, s ∈ R, s ∈ m, x, y ∈ M). A subset of
M is an R-module if and only if it is an Rm -module. Thus M is an artinian
n
Rm -module and consequently M = F ⊕ ( E(Si )) were F is an Rm -module of
i=1
finite length and for each i : (1 ≤ i ≤ n), E(Si ) ERm (Rm /mm ) ER (R/m)
, so R has nice artinian modules. 2

Examples 3.10 of rings having nice artinian modules.

i) Dedekind domains.
ii) V -rings, Indeed Rm is a field for each maximal ideal m. In general rings
such that the injective hull of each simple module has finite length ( called ”
π-v-ring” by Y.Hirano [6]).
iii) Rings R such that Rm is a Dedekind domain for each maximal ideal m
(almost Dedekind domains). There are examples of domain R such that Rm
is a Dedekind domain for each maximal ideal m of R which are not Dedekind
domains: example(5.5) and example(7.3) ([4], chIII).
902 A. Kaidi, A. Mejdani and M. Essanouni

4 Characterization of commutative co-noetherian

rings having nice artinian modules
Definition 4.1 A principal ideal local domain is called a discrete valuation
ring.

NB. We write DV R for discrete valuation ring.

Definition 4.2 [18] A ring R is almost DV R if R is a local noetherian

domain of Krull dimension 1 and the integral closure of R in Q(R) is a finitely
generated R-module and is DV R.

Proposition 4.3 Let (R, m) be a local co-noetherian commutative ring. If

R has nice artinian modules then R is an almost DV R or artinian .

Proof: Let R be a commutative co-noetherian local ring which is not artinian

and having nice artinian modules. E(R/m) is an artinian module of infinite
length because if it is finitely generated then R must be artinian [14]. E(R/m)
contains an almost finitely generated artinian submodule M. M is indecom-
posable so M = E(S) were S is a simple R-module. M E(R/m) is an
artinian almost finitely generated R-module. Thus, according to [18], R is
almost DV R. 2

Theorem 4.4 Let R be a commutative co-noetherian ring. R has nice ar-

tinian modules if and only if, the localization Rm of R at each maximal ideal
m, is a Dedekind domain or artinian.

We will need these lemmas for the proof of the theorem .

Lemma 4.5 [18] : Let R be a domain, Q(R) the field of fractions of R.

The following are equivalent:
1) Q(R) is almost finitely generated over R ;
2) Q(R)/R is Artinian almost finitely generated over R ;
3) R is an almost DV R.

Lemma 4.6 ( Proposition 4.5 ch IX page 316[4]) and (Olberding [11]) :

Let R be a domain and Q(R) the field of fractions of R. The following are
equivalent:
1) Every homomorphic image of Q(R) is injective;
2) Q/P is injective for the prime ideals P of R.
3) R is an almost maximal Prüfer domain .
Rings with nice Artinian modules 903

Lemma 4.7 ([12], Theorem 2.7): Let R be a noetherian integral domain

with field of fractions Q = R. Then the following statements are equivalent.
(i) R is semilocal of Krull dimension 1.
(ii) The R-module Q/R is Artinian.
(iii) The R-module Q/L is Artinian for every non-zero R-submodule L of Q.

Proof: (of the Theorem): Suppose that R is a commutative co-noetherian

ring which has nice artinian modules, according to proposition 3.9 and the
fact that R is co-noetherian, we can assume that R is a local noetherian ring.
If R is not artinian then R is an almost DVR ( Proposition 4.3). Let Q(R)
be the field of fractions of R, Q(R) is an almost finitely generated R-module
(Lemma 4.5). If L is an proper R-submodule of Q(R) then Q(R)/L is almost
finitely generated (Proposition 3.3(1)). Q(R)/L is artinian according to lemma
n
4.7 and since R has nice artinian modules then Q(R)/L = F ⊕ ( E(Si )) and
i=1
in fact that it is indecomposable (Proposition 3.3(2)), Q(R)/L = E(Si0 ), thus
R is a Prüfer domain according to (Lemma 4.6). Moreover, R is noetherian
(R is an almost DV R ) so it is a Dedekind domain. 2

Remark 4.8 Let R be a domain of Krull dimension 1. If M is an artinian

R-module with M = F ⊕ I such that I is an injective submodule and F a
reduced submodule of M. Then F has finite length, Indeed, If F has infinite
length then it contains a submodule N that is minimal with respect to the
property of not being finitely generated thus N is a divisible artinian a.f.g.
R-module, a contradiction.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. The authors are grateful to the referee for

the careful reading and many helpful suggestions. The first author wishes to
express his gratitude to the University of Almeria for its hospitality during the
preparation of this paper.
The authors are partially supported by the projects I+D MCYT MTM2007-
65959, with FEDER founds, AECI PCI A/5037/06, A/011421/07 and the
Junta de Andalucia grants FQM-194.

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Received: April 15, 2008