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The Stacks project

15.127 Splitting off a free module

The arguments in this section are due to Serre, see [Serre-projective].

Situation 15.127.1. Here R is a ring and M is a finitely presented R-module. Denote \Omega \subset \mathop{\mathrm{Spec}}(R) the set of closed points with the induced topology. For x \in \Omega denote M(x) = M/xM the fibre of M at x. This is a finite dimensional vector space over the residue field \kappa (x) at x. Given s \in M we denote s(x) the image of s in M(x).

Lemma 15.127.2. In Situation 15.127.1 let x \in \Omega . There exists a canonical short exact sequence

0 \to B(x) \to M(x) \to V(x) \to 0

of \kappa (x)-vector spaces which the following property: for s_1, \ldots , s_ r \in M the following are equivalent

  1. there exists an f \in R, f \not\in x such that the map s_1, \ldots , s_ r : R^{\oplus r} \to M becomes the inclusion of a direct summand after inverting f, and

  2. s_1(x), \ldots , s_ r(x) map to linearly independent elements of V(x).

Proof. Define B(x) \subset M(x) as the perpendicular of the image of the map

\mathop{\mathrm{Hom}}\nolimits _ R(M, R) \to \mathop{\mathrm{Hom}}\nolimits _{\kappa (x)}(M(x), \kappa (x))

and set V(x) = M(x)/B(x). Then any R-linear map \varphi : M \to R induces a map \overline{\varphi } : V(x) \to \kappa (x) and conversely any \kappa (x)-linear map \lambda : V(x) \to \kappa (x) is equal to \overline{\varphi } for some \varphi . Let s_1, \ldots , s_ r \in M.

Suppose s_1, \ldots , s_ r map to linearly independent elements of V(x). Then we can find \varphi _1, \ldots , \varphi _ r \in \mathop{\mathrm{Hom}}\nolimits _ R(M, R) such that \varphi _ i(s_ j) maps to \delta _{ij}1 in \kappa (x). Hence the matrix of the composition

R^{\oplus r} \xrightarrow {s_1, \ldots , s_ r} M \xrightarrow {\varphi _1, \ldots , \varphi _ r} R^{\oplus r}

has a determinant f \in R which maps to 1 in \kappa (x) Clearly, this implies that s_1, \ldots , s_ r : R^{\oplus r} \to M is the inclusion of a direct summand after inverting f.

Conversely, suppose that we have an f \in R, f \not\in x such that s_1, \ldots , s_ r : R^{\oplus r} \to M is the inclusion of a direct summand after inverting f. Hence we can find R_ f-linear maps \varphi _ i : M_ f \to R_ f such that \varphi _ i(s_ j) = \delta _{ij} \in R_ f. Since \mathop{\mathrm{Hom}}\nolimits _ R(M, R)_ f = \mathop{\mathrm{Hom}}\nolimits _{R_ f}(M_ f, R_ f) by Algebra, Lemma 10.10.2 we conclude that we can find n \geq 0 and \varphi '_ i \in \mathop{\mathrm{Hom}}\nolimits _ R(M, R) such that \varphi '_ i(s_ j) = f^ n\delta _{ij} \in R. It follows that s_1, \ldots , s_ r map to linearly independent elements of V(x) as \overline{\varphi }'_ i(s_ j) = f^ n\delta _{ij}. \square

In Situation 15.127.1 given s_1, \ldots , s_ r \in M we denote Z(s_1, \ldots , s_ r) \subset \Omega the set of x \in \Omega such that s_1(x), \ldots , s_ r(x) map to linearly dependent elements of V(x). By the lemma this is a closed subset of \Omega .

Lemma 15.127.3. In Situation 15.127.1 let x_1, \ldots , x_ n \in \Omega be pairwise distinct. Let v_ i \in V(x_ i). Then there exists an s \in M such that s(x_ i) maps to v_ i for i = 1, \ldots , n.

Proof. Since x_ i is a maximal ideal of R we may use Algebra, Lemma 10.15.4 to see that M(x_1) \oplus \ldots \oplus M(x_ n) is a quotient of M. \square

Proposition 15.127.4.reference In Situation 15.127.1 assume \Omega is a Noetherian topological space. Let s_1, \ldots , s_ h \in M. Let Z(s_1, \ldots , s_ h) \subset F \subset \Omega be closed. Let x_1, \ldots , x_ n \in F be pairwise distinct. Let v_ i \in V(x_ i). Let k \geq 0 be an integer such that

(*)\quad h + k \leq \dim _{\kappa (x)} V(x)\text{ for all }x \in \Omega

Then there exist s \in M and F' \subset \Omega closed such that

  1. s(x_ i) maps to v_ i,

  2. Z(s_1, \ldots , s_ h, s) \subset F \cup F', and

  3. every irreducible component of F' has codimension \geq k in \Omega .

Proof. We note that codimension was defined in Topology, Section 5.11 and that we will use some results on Noetherian topological spaces contained in Topology, Section 5.9.

The proof is by induction on k. If k = 0, then we choose s \in M as in Lemma 15.127.3 and we choose F' = \Omega .

Assume k > 0. By our induction hypothesis we may choose u \in M and G \subset \Omega closed satisfying (a), (b), (c) for s_1, \ldots , s_ h, F, x_1, \ldots , x_ n, v_1, \ldots , v_ n, and k - 1.

Let G = G_1 \cup \ldots \cup G_ m be the decomposition of G into its irreducible components. If G_ j \subset F, then we can remove it from the list. Thus we may assume G_ j is not contained in F for j = 1, \ldots , m. For j = 1, \ldots , m choose y_ j \in G_ j with y_ j \not\in F and y_ j \not\in G_{j'} for j' \not= j. This is possible as there are no inclusions among the irreducible components of G. Choose w_ j \in V(y_ j) not contained in the span of the images of s_1(y_ j), \ldots , s_ h(y_ j); this is possible because h + k \leq \dim V(y_ j) and k > 0.

Apply the induction hypothesis to the h + 1 sections s_1, \ldots , s_ h, u, the closed set F \cup G, the points x_1, \ldots , x_ n, y_1, \ldots , y_ m \in F \cup G, the elements 0 \in V(x_ i) and w_ j \in V(y_ j), and the integer k - 1. Note that we have increased h by 1 and decreased k by 1 hence the assumption (*) of the proposition remains valid. This produces t \in M and H \subset \Omega closed satisfying (a), (b), (c) for s_1, \ldots , s_ h, u, F \cup G, x_1, \ldots , x_ n, y_1, \ldots , y_ m, 0, \ldots , 0, w_1, \ldots , w_ m, and k - 1.

Let H_1, \ldots , H_ p \subset H be the irreducible components of H which are not contained in F \cup G. As before pick z_ l \in H_ l, z_ l \not\in F \cup G and z_ l \not\in H_{l'} for l' \not= l. Using Algebra, Lemma 10.15.4 we may choose f \in R such that f(y_ j) = 1, j = 1, \ldots , m and f(z_ l) = 0, l = 1, \ldots , p. Claim: the element s = u + f t works.

First, the value s(x_ i) agrees with u(x_ i) because t(x_ i) = 0 and hence we see that s(x_ i) maps to v_ i. This proves (a). To finish the proof it suffices to show that every irreducible component Z of Z(s_1, \ldots , s_ h, s) not contained in F has codimension \geq k in \Omega . Namely, then we can set F' equal to the union of these and we get (b) and (c). We can see that irreducible components Z of Z(s_1, \ldots , s_ h, s) of codimension \leq k - 1 do not exist as follows:

  1. Observe that Z(s_1, \ldots , s_ h, s) \subset Z(s_1, \ldots , s_ h, u, t) = F \cup H as s = u + ft. Hence Z \subset H.

  2. The irreducible components of H have codimension \geq k - 1. Hence Z is equal to an irreducible component of H as Z has codimension \leq k - 1. Hence Z = H_ l for some l \in \{ 1, \ldots , p\} or Z = G_ j for some j \in \{ 1, \ldots m\} .

  3. But Z = G_ j is impossible as s_1(y_ j), \ldots , s_ h(y_ j) map to linearly independent elements of V(y_ j) and s(y_ j) = u(y_ j) + f(y_ j) t(y_ j) = u(y_ j) + t(y_ j) maps to an element of the form

    \text{linear combination images of }s_ i(y_ j) + w_ j

    which is linearly independent of the images of s_1(y_ j), \ldots , s_ h(y_ j) in V(y_ j) by our choice of w_ j.

  4. Also Z = Z_ l is impossible. Namely, again s_1(z_ l), \ldots , s_ h(z_ l) map to linearly independent elements of V(z_ l) and s(z_ l) = u(z_ l) + f(z_ l) t(z_ l) = u(z_ l) maps to an element of V(z_ l) linearly independent of those as z_ l \not\in F \cup G.

This finishes the proof. \square

Theorem 15.127.5.reference Let R be a ring whose max spectrum \Omega \subset \mathop{\mathrm{Spec}}(R) is a Noetherian topological space of dimension d < \infty . Let M be a finitely presented R-module such that for all \mathfrak m \in \Omega the R_\mathfrak m-module M_\mathfrak m has a free direct summand of rank > d. Then M \cong R \oplus M'.

Proof. For \mathfrak m \in \Omega suppose that R_\mathfrak m^{\oplus r} is a direct summand of M_\mathfrak m. Then by Algebra, Lemmas 10.9.9 and 10.127.6 we see that R_ f^{\oplus r} is a direct summand of M_ f for some f \in R, f \not\in \mathfrak m. Hence the assumption means that \dim V(x) > d for all x \in \Omega where V(x) is as in Lemma 15.127.2. By Proposition 15.127.4 applied with F = \emptyset , h = 0 and no s_ i, n = 0 and no x_ i, v_ i, and k = d + 1 we find an s \in M and F' \subset \Omega such that every irreducible component of F' has codimension \geq d + 1 and Z(s) \subset F'. Since d = \dim (\Omega ) this forces F' = \emptyset . Hence s : R \to M is the inclusion of a direct summand at all maximal ideals. It follows that s is universally injective, see Algebra, Lemma 10.82.12. Then s is split injective by Algebra, Lemma 10.82.4. \square

[1] Kronecker delta.

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