Length problems for automorphisms of modules over local rings. (Q852650)

Let \(R\) be a local ring with the unique maximal ideal \(\mathfrak m\) and let \(M\) be a free \(R\)-module of finite rank. Then \(\overline R=R/\mathfrak mR\) is the residue class field and \(\overline M=M/\mathfrak mM\) is an \(R\)-module. Let \(\sigma\in\Aut_RM\) and let \(\overline\sigma\in\Aut_{\overline R}\overline M\) be the map induced by \(\sigma\). An element \(\tau\in\Aut_RM\) is called simple if \(\tau\neq 1\) and \(\tau\) fixes a hyperplane of \(M\). For \(\sigma\in\Aut_RM\) define \(M_\sigma=\{x\in M\mid\sigma x=x\}\) and \(S^{(1)}=\{\sigma\in\Aut_RM\mid M_\sigma\) is a hyperplane of \(M\}\). Any \(\sigma\in\Aut_RM\) is a product of simple elements in \(\Aut_RM\). The smallest number \(k\) such that \(\sigma\) is a product of \(k\) simple elements is called the length of \(\sigma\), denoted by \(\ell(\sigma)\). As one of his main results the author shows that there is a permutation \(\rho\in\Aut_RM\) such that \(\ell(\rho^{-1}\sigma)\leq m\), where \(m\) is the number of invariant factors of \(\overline\sigma\). Further, if \(\delta\in\Aut_RM\) is a special diagonal matrix relative to a special basis \(X\) for \(M\), then \(\delta^{-1}\rho^{-1}\sigma\) is a product of \(m\) or fewer than \(m\) transvections.