Hello- I've had to use a result that sounds like it should be well-known, but I couldn't find any references, and my proof is rather unsatisfactory. I was hoping someone here could help! The problem is as follows:
Let $(K,O,k)$ be a p-modular system for a finite group $G$, and that $k$ is algebraically closed. Then $O$ is a complete discrete valuation ring with residue field $k$. For an $OG$-module $M$, let $O(M)$ be the projective dimension of $M$ as an $OG$-module. Since $O$ is a (local) PID, it follows that $O(M)$ is either infinite or 1 if $M$ has torsion. My question concerns $O(M)$ for a $kG$ module $M$:
In particular, is $O(M)=1$ if and only if $M$ is projective as a $kG$ module?
To hopefully persuade you that this is not trivial, consider the following. Call an $OG$-module $P$ $\textit{weakly projective}$ if it is a summand of a module induced from the trivial group, and note that a weakly projective $kG$-module is simply projective as a $kG$-module. Then $O(P)=1$, again because $O$ is a PID. It is however, possible to construct a non-weakly projective module $N$ with $O(N)=1$.
I can prove this, but I've had to use some rather heavy machinery- I've not so much used a sledgehammer to crack the nut, I've nuked it. I was hoping someone could offer a more elementary proof, or (better) a reference?
Perhaps a more intuitive way of thinking about it is the following equivalent problem: If $0\rightarrow P\rightarrow P\rightarrow M\rightarrow 0$ is a sequence of $OG$-modules with $P$ projective (and hence free as an $O$-module) and $M$ a $kG$-module, then the sequence is exact only if $M$ is projective (and hence isomorphic to $P\otimes_O k$, so that the first map in the sequence is multiplication by $\pi$, the generator of the maximal ideal in $O$.).
I hope the question is clear, and I would appreciate any insight!