Modules with many homomorphisms. (Q1772260)

A right module \(M\) over a ring \(R\) is called slightly compressible if \(\Hom_R(M,N)\neq 0\) for each of its submodules \(N\). After giving some basic results involving this concept, the author shows that for a ring \(R\) whose nonzero modules have non-empty sets of associated prime ideals a sufficient condition for \(M\) to be slightly compressible is that \(\Hom_R(M,R/P)\neq 0\) for each associated prime ideal \(P\) of \(M\). Over a right Noetherian fully bounded ring this condition turns out to be necessary as well. As a consequence, all projective modules over a commutative Noetherian ring are slightly compressible. A special type of slightly compressible modules are the weak generators, where a right \(R\)-module \(M\) is called a weak generator of Mod-\(R\) if \(\Hom_R(M,X)\neq 0\) for all modules \(X\neq 0\). If \(R\) is right Noetherian then \(M\) is a weak generator if and only if \(\Hom_R(M,R/P)\neq 0\) for every prime ideal \(P\) of \(R\), and the latter condition reduces to \(P=0\) for a commutative Noetherian domain.