Homological algebra modulo exact zero-divisors (Q482155)

Let \(S\) be a commutative noetherian local ring and let \(I\) be an ideal. When \(I\) is generated by a regular sequence, there is a well developed theory relating the homological behavior of \(S/I\)-modules to that over \(S\). The work being reviewed considers a different situation. Let \(x,y \in S\) be elements such that \(\mathrm{ann}_S(x) = (y)\) and \(\mathrm{ann}_S(y) = (x)\). We say \((x,y)\) is a \textit{pair of exact zero-divisor} of \(S\). A classic example for such a situation is provided when \(S = T/(x)\) where \(T\) itself is a commutative local noetherian ring. Henceforth, we assume that \((x,y) \in S\) is a pair of exact zero divisor and \(R = S/(x)\). Let \(M, N\) be \(R\)-modules such that \(yN = 0\). The first theorem asserts that if there is an integer \(n \geq 2\) such that \(\mathrm{Tor}_i^R(M,N) = 0\) for \(1 \leq i \leq n\), then \(\mathrm{Tor}_i^S(M,N) \cong M \otimes_S N\) for \(1 \leq i \leq n-1\). This result is in sharp contrast to the case if \(x\) were a regular element where it is a vanishing result. A similar statement is proved for homology. In section 3, authors prove the following inequality concerning Betti numbers of \(M\): \[ \beta_n^R(M) - \sum_{i=0}^{n-2}\beta_i^R(M) \leq \beta_n^S(M) \leq \sum_{i=0}^n \beta_i^R(M) \] Thus \(cx_S(M) \leq cx_R(M) + 1\) holds where \(cx_A(P)\) denotes the complexity of a \(A\)-module \(P\). The main result of the last section, Theorem 4.2, shows that the triviality of canonical element of \(\mathrm{Ext}^2_R(M,M)\) implies that \(M\) lifts from \(R\) to \(S\) as a module.