Rings whose modules have maximal submodules (Q1903625)

A ring \(R\) is called a right max ring if every nonzero right \(R\)-module has at least one maximal submodule. A module \(M\) is called a Hamsher module provided every nonzero submodule \(A\) of \(M\) has a maximal submodule. It is well known that any right perfect ring is a right max ring. In this paper, the author establishes a number of necessary and sufficient conditions for a general ring to be a right max ring. He shows that it suffices to check for maximal submodules of certain special classes of modules in order to test for a max ring. For example, a ring \(R\) is a right max ring if and only if the injective hull of each simple right \(R\)-module is a Hamsher module, if and only if every nonzero quasi-injective right \(R\)-module has a maximal submodule. Also, it is shown that if \(R\) is any ring with the injective cogenerator \(E\), and \(S\) is the endomorphism ring of \(E\), then \(R\) is a right max ring if and only \(S/L\) has nonzero socle for any left annihilator ideal \(L=\text{ann}_SM\), where \(M\) is a nonzero submodule of \(E\). The paper ends with a list of open questions on max rings.