I've been looking at some thick subcategories in $K^b(R-proj)$ (the homotopy category of bounded chain complexes of projective modules), and, as expected, I'm running into the question of when chain complexes split quite often. I'm wondering what sorts of useful criteria there are for determining when chain complexes split. At the moment, the only one I have is the very un-useful one about when bounded acyclic complexes split.

Feel free to strengthen the hypotheses a bit if you need to- these can be complexes of free modules, if you like. I'm just trying to get a sense of how to look at a chain complex and think, "That probably splits..." or, "That probably doesn't..." Also remember that I'm working in the homotopy category, so if the question becomes easier when homotopy equivalent objects are identified, please feel free to use this hypothesis.

I've been looking at some thick subcategories in $K^b(R-proj)$ (the homotopy category of bounded chain complexes of projective modules), and, as expected, I'm running into the question of when chain complexes split quite often. I'm wondering what sorts of useful criteria there are for determining when chain complexes split. By "split" I mean decompose as two nontrivial complexes as $A = A_1 \oplus A_2$.

Feel free to strengthen the hypotheses a bit if you need to- these can be complexes of free modules, if you like. I'm just trying to get a sense of how to look at a chain complex and think, "That probably splits..." or, "That probably doesn't..." Also remember that I'm working in the homotopy category, so if the question becomes easier when homotopy equivalent objects are identified, please feel free to use this hypothesis.