Flat module

In Homological algebra

Homological algebra

Homological algebra is the branch of mathematics which studies homology in a general algebraic setting. It is a relatively young discipline, whose origins can be traced to investigations in combinatorial topology and abstract algebra at the end of the 19th century, chiefly by Henri Poincaré and...

, and algebraic geometry

Algebraic geometry

Algebraic geometry is a branch of mathematics which combines techniques of abstract algebra, especially commutative algebra, with the language and the problems of geometry. It occupies a central place in modern mathematics and has multiple conceptual connections with such diverse fields as complex...

, a flat module over a ring

Ring (mathematics)

In mathematics, a ring is an algebraic structure consisting of a set together with two binary operations usually called addition and multiplication, where the set is an abelian group under addition and a semigroup under multiplication such that multiplication distributes over addition...

 R is an R-module

Module (mathematics)

In abstract algebra, the concept of a module over a ring is a generalization of the notion of vector space, wherein the corresponding scalars are allowed to lie in an arbitrary ring...

 M such that taking the tensor product

Tensor product

In mathematics, the tensor product, denoted by ⊗, may be applied in different contexts to vectors, matrices, tensors, vector spaces, algebras, topological vector spaces, and modules, among many other structures or objects. In each case the significance of the symbol is the same: the most general...

 over R with M preserves exact sequence

Exact sequence

An exact sequence is a concept in mathematics, especially in homological algebra and other applications of abelian category theory, as well as in differential geometry and group theory...

s. A module is faithfully flat if taking the tensor product with a sequence produces an exact sequence if and only if the original sequence is exact.

Vector space

Vector space

A vector space is a mathematical structure formed by a collection of vectors: objects that may be added together and multiplied by numbers, called scalars in this context. Scalars are often taken to be real numbers, but one may also consider vector spaces with scalar multiplication by complex...

s over a field

Field (mathematics)

In abstract algebra, a field is a commutative ring whose nonzero elements form a group under multiplication. As such it is an algebraic structure with notions of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, satisfying certain axioms...

 are flat modules. Free module

Free module

In mathematics, a free module is a free object in a category of modules. Given a set S, a free module on S is a free module with basis S.Every vector space is free, and the free vector space on a set is a special case of a free module on a set.-Definition:...

s, or more generally projective module

Projective module

In mathematics, particularly in abstract algebra and homological algebra, the concept of projective module over a ring R is a more flexible generalisation of the idea of a free module...

s, are also flat, over any R. For finitely generated modules over a Noetherian

Noetherian ring

In mathematics, more specifically in the area of modern algebra known as ring theory, a Noetherian ring, named after Emmy Noether, is a ring in which every non-empty set of ideals has a maximal element...

 local ring

Local ring

In abstract algebra, more particularly in ring theory, local rings are certain rings that are comparatively simple, and serve to describe what is called "local behaviour", in the sense of functions defined on varieties or manifolds, or of algebraic number fields examined at a particular place, or...

, flatness, projectivity, and freeness are all equivalent.

Flatness was introduced by in his paper Géometrie Algébrique et Géométrie Analytique. See also flat morphism

Flat morphism

In mathematics, in particular in the theory of schemes in algebraic geometry, a flat morphism f from a scheme X to a scheme Y is a morphism such that the induced map on every stalk is a flat map of rings, i.e.,is a flat map for all P in X...

.

Commutative rings

There are many ways to define flatness over a commutative ring .

• A flat -module is an -module such that the functor

is exact, where is the category of -modules.

• A flat -module is an -module such that for every injective morphism of -modules and , the induced map,

,

is injective.

• A flat -module is an -module such that for every finitely generated ideal , the induced morphism is injective.
• A flat -module is an -module such that there exists a directed system of -modules with the following properties:

1. For all , is a finitely generated, free -module.
2. The direct limit is : .
   • A flat -module is an -module such that for every linear dependency in ,

,

where , there exists a matrix such that

1. has a solution for some .
2. .
   • A flat -module is an -module such that for every -module ,

• A flat -module is an -module such that for every finitely generated ideal ,

.

• A flat -module is an -module such that for every map , where is a finitely generated free -module, and for every finitely generated -submodule , factors through a map to a free -module that kills :

General rings

When R isn't commutative one needs the more careful statement, that (if M is a left R-module) the tensor product with M maps exact sequences of right R-modules to exact sequences of abelian group

Abelian group

In abstract algebra, an abelian group, also called a commutative group, is a group in which the result of applying the group operation to two group elements does not depend on their order . Abelian groups generalize the arithmetic of addition of integers...

s.

Taking tensor products (over arbitrary rings) is always a right exact functor. Therefore, the R-module M is flat if and only if for any injective homomorphism K → L of R-modules, the induced homomorphism KM → LM is also injective.

Case of commutative rings

For any multiplicatively closed subset S of R, the localization ring

Localization of a ring

In abstract algebra, localization is a systematic method of adding multiplicative inverses to a ring. Given a ring R and a subset S, one wants to construct some ring R* and ring homomorphism from R to R*, such that the image of S consists of units in R*...

  is flat as an R-module.

When R is Noetherian

Noetherian ring

In mathematics, more specifically in the area of modern algebra known as ring theory, a Noetherian ring, named after Emmy Noether, is a ring in which every non-empty set of ideals has a maximal element...

 and M is a finitely-generated

Finitely-generated module

In mathematics, a finitely generated module is a module that has a finite generating set. A finitely generated R-module also may be called a finite R-module or finite over R....

 R-module, being flat is the same as being locally free in the following sense: M is a flat R-module if and only if for every prime ideal

Prime ideal

In algebra , a prime ideal is a subset of a ring which shares many important properties of a prime number in the ring of integers...

 (or even just for every maximal ideal

Maximal ideal

In mathematics, more specifically in ring theory, a maximal ideal is an ideal which is maximal amongst all proper ideals. In other words, I is a maximal ideal of a ring R if I is an ideal of R, I ≠ R, and whenever J is another ideal containing I as a subset, then either J = I or J = R...

) P of R, the localization  is free

Free module

In mathematics, a free module is a free object in a category of modules. Given a set S, a free module on S is a free module with basis S.Every vector space is free, and the free vector space on a set is a special case of a free module on a set.-Definition:...

 as a module over the localization

Localization of a ring

In abstract algebra, localization is a systematic method of adding multiplicative inverses to a ring. Given a ring R and a subset S, one wants to construct some ring R* and ring homomorphism from R to R*, such that the image of S consists of units in R*...

 .

If S is an R-algebra, i.e., we have a homomorphism , then S has the structure of an R-module, and hence it makes sense to ask if S is flat over R. If this is the case, then S is faithfully flat over R if and only if every prime ideal of R is the inverse image under f of a prime ideal in S. In other words, if and only if the induced map is surjective.

Categorical colimits

In general, arbitrary direct sum

Direct sum of modules

In abstract algebra, the direct sum is a construction which combines several modules into a new, larger module. The result of the direct summation of modules is the "smallest general" module which contains the given modules as submodules...

s and direct limit

Direct limit

In mathematics, a direct limit is a colimit of a "directed family of objects". We will first give the definition for algebraic structures like groups and modules, and then the general definition which can be used in any category.- Algebraic objects :In this section objects are understood to be...

s of flat modules are flat, a consequence of the fact that the tensor product commutes with direct sums and direct limits (in fact with all colimits), and that both direct sums and direct limits are exact functor

Exact functor

In homological algebra, an exact functor is a functor, from some category to another, which preserves exact sequences. Exact functors are very convenient in algebraic calculations, roughly speaking because they can be applied to presentations of objects easily...

s. Submodules and factor modules of flat modules need not be flat in general. However we have the following result: the homomorphic image of a flat module M is flat if and only if the kernel is a pure submodule

Pure submodule

In mathematics, especially in the field of module theory, the concept of pure submodule provides a generalization of direct summand, a type of particularly well-behaved piece of a module. Pure modules are complementary to flat modules and generalize Prüfer's notion of pure subgroups...

 of M.

D.Lazard proved in 1969 that a module M is flat if and only if it is a direct limit

Direct limit

In mathematics, a direct limit is a colimit of a "directed family of objects". We will first give the definition for algebraic structures like groups and modules, and then the general definition which can be used in any category.- Algebraic objects :In this section objects are understood to be...

 of finitely-generated free module

Free module

In mathematics, a free module is a free object in a category of modules. Given a set S, a free module on S is a free module with basis S.Every vector space is free, and the free vector space on a set is a special case of a free module on a set.-Definition:...

s. As a consequence, one can deduce that every finitely-presented flat module is projective.

An abelian group is flat (viewed as a Z-module) if and only if it is torsion-free.

Homological algebra

Flatness may also be expressed using the Tor functor

Tor functor

In homological algebra, the Tor functors are the derived functors of the tensor product functor. They were first defined in generality to express the Künneth theorem and universal coefficient theorem in algebraic topology....

s, the left derived functors

Derived functor

In mathematics, certain functors may be derived to obtain other functors closely related to the original ones. This operation, while fairly abstract, unifies a number of constructions throughout mathematics.- Motivation :...

 of the tensor product. A left R-module M is flat if and only if Tor_n^R(–, M) = 0 for all (i.e., if and only if Tor_n^R(X, M) = 0 for all and all right R-modules X). Similarly, a right R-module M is flat if and only if Tor_n^R(M, X) = 0 for all and all left R-modules X. Using the Tor functor's long exact sequences, one can then easily prove facts about a short exact sequence

• If A and C are flat, then so is B
• If B and C are flat, then so is A

If A and B are flat, C need not be flat in general. However, it can be shown that

• If A is pure
  Pure submodule
  In mathematics, especially in the field of module theory, the concept of pure submodule provides a generalization of direct summand, a type of particularly well-behaved piece of a module. Pure modules are complementary to flat modules and generalize Prüfer's notion of pure subgroups...
  
   in B and B is flat, then A and C are flat.

Flat resolutions

A flat resolution of a module is a resolution by flat modules. Any projective resolution is therefore a flat resolution. These flat resolutions can also be used to compute the Tor functor

Tor functor

In homological algebra, the Tor functors are the derived functors of the tensor product functor. They were first defined in generality to express the Künneth theorem and universal coefficient theorem in algebraic topology....

.

In some areas of module theory, a flat resolution must satisfy the additional requirement that each map is a flat pre-cover of the kernel of the map to the right. For projective resolutions, this condition is almost invisible: a projective pre-cover is simply an epimorphism

Epimorphism

In category theory, an epimorphism is a morphism f : X → Y which is right-cancellative in the sense that, for all morphisms ,...

 from a projective module. These ideas are inspired from Auslander's work in approximations. These ideas are also familiar from the more common notion of minimal projective resolutions, where each map is required to be a projective cover

Projective cover

In the branch of abstract mathematics called category theory, a projective cover of an object X is in a sense the best approximation of X by a projective object P. Projective covers are the dual of injective envelopes.- Definition :...

 of the kernel of the map to the right. However, projective covers need not exist in general, so minimal projective resolutions are only of limited use over rings like the integers.

While projective covers for modules do not always exist, it was speculated that for general rings, every module would have a flat cover, that is, every module would be the epimorphic image of a flat module under a homomorphism with superfluous kernel. This flat cover conjecture was explicitly first stated in . The conjecture turned out to be true, resolved positively and proved simultaneously by L. Bican, R. El Bashir and E. Enochs (see ). The was preceded by important contributions by P. Eklof, J. Trlifaj and J. Xu.

Since flat covers exist for all modules over all rings, minimal flat resolutions can take the place of minimal projective resolutions in many circumstances. The measurement of the departure of flat resolutions from projective resolutions is called relative homological algebra, and is covered in classics such as and in more recent works focussing on flat resolutions such as .

In constructive mathematics

Flat modules have increased importance in constructive mathematics, where projective modules are less useful. For example, that all free modules are projective is equivalent to the full axiom of choice, so theorems about projective modules, even if proved constructively, do not necessarily apply to free modules. In contrast, no choice is needed to prove that free modules are flat, so theorems about flat modules can still apply, .

See also

• localization of a module
• flat morphism
  Flat morphism
  In mathematics, in particular in the theory of schemes in algebraic geometry, a flat morphism f from a scheme X to a scheme Y is a morphism such that the induced map on every stalk is a flat map of rings, i.e.,is a flat map for all P in X...
  
  
• von Neumann regular ring
  Von Neumann regular ring
  In mathematics, a von Neumann regular ring is a ring R such that for every a in R there exists an x in R withOne may think of x as a "weak inverse" of a...
  
  : those rings over which all modules are flat.