A semigroup-theoretical view of direct-sum decompositions and associated combinatorial problems

Abstract

Let R be a ring and let [Formula: see text] be a small class of right R-modules which is closed under finite direct sums, direct summands, and isomorphisms. Let [Formula: see text] denote a set of representatives of isomorphism classes in [Formula: see text] and, for any module M in [Formula: see text], let [M] denote the unique element in [Formula: see text] isomorphic to M. Then [Formula: see text] is a reduced commutative semigroup with operation defined by [M] + [N] = [M ⊕ N], and this semigroup carries all information about direct-sum decompositions of modules in [Formula: see text]. This semigroup-theoretical point of view has been prevalent in the theory of direct-sum decompositions since it was shown that if End R(M) is semilocal for all [Formula: see text], then [Formula: see text] is a Krull monoid. Suppose that the monoid [Formula: see text] is Krull with a finitely generated class group (for example, when [Formula: see text] is the class of finitely generated torsion-free modules and R is a one-dimensional reduced Noetherian local ring). In this case, we study the arithmetic of [Formula: see text] using new methods from zero-sum theory. Furthermore, based on module-theoretic work of Lam, Levy, Robson, and others we study the algebraic and arithmetic structure of the monoid [Formula: see text] for certain classes of modules over Prüfer rings and hereditary Noetherian prime rings.