Modules \(M\) such that \(\mathrm{Ext}_R^1(M,-)\) commutes with direct limits. (Q2637779)

The author uses several recent results in homological module theory to characterize modules over an arbitrary ring for which the covariant Ext functor commutes with direct limits. The main result of the paper is that \(\mathrm{Ext}^1_R(M,-)\) commutes with direct limits if and only if \(\mathrm{Ext}^1_R(M,-)\) commutes with direct sums of copies of \(R\), if and only if \(M\) has a projective resolution whose first syzygy is finitely presented. An important application is that if \(R\) is hereditary, then modules share the property of Abelian groups that \(\mathrm{Ext}^1_R(M,-)\) commutes with direct limits if and only if \(M\) is the direct sum of a finitely presented and a projective module.