Invariants for Abelian groups and dual exact sequences. (Q1048960)

The author modifies a known duality between the category of quotient divisible (Abelian) groups \(\mathcal{QD}\) and the category of torsion-free Abelian groups of finite rank \(\mathcal{QTF}\) both with quasi-homomorphisms as morphisms. The category \(\mathcal{QTF}\) is replaced by the category \(\mathcal{TF}\) whose objects are pairs \((A,(a_1,\dots,a_n))\) where \(A\) is a torsion-free Abelian group of finite rank and the \(a_i\) are elements of \(A\) that form the basis of a full free subgroup \(F_A=\langle a_1,\dots,a_n\rangle\) of \(A\). A morphism \(f\colon(A,(a_1,\dots,a_n))\to(B,(b_1,\dots,b_k))\) is a homomorphism \(f\colon A\to B\) such that \(f(a_i)=m_{i1}b_1+\cdots+m_{ik}b_k\) for \textit{integers} \(m_{ij}\). Thus the morphisms are now true homomorphisms. The category \(\mathcal D\) consists of pairs \((A,(a_1,\dots,a_n))\) where \(A\) is a quotient divisible group and the \(a_i\) form a basis of a free subgroup \(F\) of \(A\) such that \(A/F\) is torsion divisible. The morphisms are defined as in \(\mathcal{TF}\). The author then establishes a duality \(\mathcal D\leftrightarrow\mathcal{TF}\). He also shows (Theorem~2) that short exact sequences in \(\mathcal D\) with ``coordinated bases'' are mapped to short exact sequences in \(\mathcal{TF}\). There are additional categories in play. Originally, it was the category \(\mathcal{RM}\) of ``reduced'' matrices that was equivalent to \(\mathcal{QD}\) and dual to \(\mathcal{QTF}\). The matrices of \(\mathcal{RM}\) may be considered invariants for the groups of the categories. The author introduces the category \(\mathcal S\) consisting of finite lists \((a_1,\dots,a_n)\) of elements in a finitely presented \(\widehat\mathbb{Z}\)-module. (\(\widehat\mathbb{Z}\) is the \(\mathbb{Z}\)-adic completion of the ring of integers \(\mathbb{Z}\), the so-called ring of universal integers.) The morphisms are pairs \((\varphi,[m_{ij}])\colon(a_1,\dots,a_n)\to(b_1,\dots,b_k)\) where \(\varphi\in\Hom_{\widehat\mathbb{Z}}\bigl(\langle a_1,\dots,a_n\rangle_{\widehat\mathbb{Z}},\langle b_1,\dots,b_k\rangle_{\widehat\mathbb{Z}}\bigr)\) and \([m_{ij}]\) is an integral matrix such that \(\varphi(a_i)=\sum_{j=1}^k m_{ij}b_j\). The author shows that \(\mathcal S\) is equivalent to \(\mathcal D\) and dual to \(\mathcal{TF}\). As before the lists in \(\mathcal S\) may be considered invariants for the groups. The author points out that these invariants for the groups of \(\mathcal{TF}\) are closely related to Maltsev's matrix invariants (3.7. Comment 1.) while the lists of \(\mathcal S\) are extensions of the Kurosh invariants for ``\(p\)-primitive torsion-free groups of finite rank'' to the groups of \(\mathcal D\) (3.11. Comment 2).