Definability problems for modules and rings

Abstract

This paper is concerned with questions of the following kind: let L be a language of the form Lαω and let be a class of modules over a fixed ring or a class of rings; is it possible to define in L? We will be mainly interested in the cases where L is Lωω or L∞ω and is a familiar class in homologic algebra or ring theory.In Part I we characterize the rings Λ such that the class of free (respectively projective, respectively flat) left Λ-modules is elementary. In [12] we solved the corresponding problems for injective modules; here we show that the class of injective Λ-modules is definable in L∞ω if and only if it is elementary. Moreover we identify the right noetherian rings Λ such that the class of projective (respectively free) left Λ-modules is definable in L∞ω.