2
$\begingroup$

The notion of uniform or Goldie dimension is something I’ve only seen discussed for categories of modules, but I believe the theory works the same way in any Grothendieck category $\mathcal C$. Recall that the uniform dimension of $c \in C$ is the supremum of the $n$ such that there exists a monomorphism $c_1 \oplus \cdots \oplus c_n \to c$ with all $c_i$ nonzero. Equivalently it’s the number of factors in a finest direct sum decomposition of the injective hull of $c$.

The uniform dimension is subadditive in short exact sequences and monotonic in subobjects but not necessarily in quotients. That is, if $0 \to d \to c \to c/d \to 0$ is a short exact sequence, then $dim(d) \leq dim(c) \leq dim(d)+ dim(c/d)$ but in general we do not have $dim(c/d) \leq dim(c)$. For example when $\mathcal C = Mod(\mathbb Z)$ is the category of abelian groups, we have $dim(\mathbb Z)=1$ but $dim(\mathbb Z/6)=2$.

However, this pathological example seems attributable to the fact that $Mod(\mathbb Z)$ has more than one indecomposable injective. In the category $\mathbb Z_{(p)}$ of $p$-local abelian groups for a prime $p$ it seems that maybe we do have that the dimension of $c$ is at least the dimension of any quotient? More generally, I wonder:

Question: Let $\mathcal C$ be a Grothendieck category with a unique indecomposable injective. Then for $c \in \mathcal C$ and $c/d$ a quotient, is $dim(c) \geq dim(c/d)$?

I’m happy to understand special cases like assuming $\mathcal C$ is a category of modules, or alternatively assuming $\mathcal C$ is locally coherent or something.

$\endgroup$
3
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ Wow! It takes a hardcore category theorist to think that $\mathbb{Z}$ is pathological! $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 5 at 19:15
  • $\begingroup$ @JeremyRickard haha! But does it really? One can go a whole career working only over a field or even just over $\mathbb C$ for example $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 5 at 19:22
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ I've pretty much gone most of my career doing precisely that. But that doesn't mean that $\mathbb{Z}$ is pathological ... it just means it's HARD! $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 5 at 19:25

1 Answer 1

2
$\begingroup$

Let $k$ be a field, and let $A$ be the $3$-dimensional commutative $k$-algebra $k[x,y]/(x^2,xy,y^2)$. Then in the category of $A$-modules there is a unique indecomposable injective, namely the dual $DA=\operatorname{Hom}_k(A,k)$ of $A$.

But the quotient of $DA$ by its unique $1$-dimensional submodule is the direct sum of two $1$-dimensional modules, and its injective hull is $DA\oplus DA$.

$\endgroup$

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .