Krull dimension, overrings and semistar operations of an integral domain (Q1014618)

Let \(R\) be an integral domain with quotient field \(L\) and let \(\overline{F} (R)\) be the set of all nonzero \(R\)-submodules of \(L.\) \(\overline{F}(R)\) generalizes \(F(R)\) the set of all nonzero fractional ideals of \(R.\) A mapping \(\star :\) \(\overline{F}(R)\) \(\rightarrow \overline{F}(R),\) \(E\mapsto E^{\star }\) is called a semistar operation if for all \(E,F\in \overline{F}(R) \) and \(x\in L\backslash \{0\}\) we have (1) \((xE)^{\star }=xE^{\star },\) (2) \( E\subseteq E^{\star }\) and \(E\subseteq F\) implies \(E^{\star }\subseteq F^{\star }\) and (3) \((E^{\ast })^{\ast }=E^{\star }.\) A semistar operation differs from a star operation in that a star operation is defined on \(F(R)\) and a star operation requires that \(R^{\star }=R.\) The similarity of definitions allows for the use of star operation related terms in the study of semistar operations. As in the case of star operations we associate with each semistar operation \(\star \) a semistar operation \(\star _{f}\) defined, for all \(E\in \overline{F}(R),\) by \(E^{\star _{f}}=\bigcup \{F^{\star }:F\) is a nonzero finitely generated \(R\)-submodule of \(E\}.\) \(\star _{f}\) is called a semistar operation of finite character associated with \(\star .\) A semistar operation \(\star \) is said to be of finite character if \(\star =\star _{f}\) and indeed \(\star _{f}=(\star _{f})_{f}.\) On the other hand, unlike the star operations, a semistar operation \(\star _{S}\)can be defined by a single overring \(S\) of \(R\) by \(E^{\star _{S}}=ES,\) for all \(E\in \overline{F}(R).\) Indeed \(\star _{S}\) is of finite character. Let \(SSFc(R)\) denote the set of semistar operations of finite character. If \( SSFc(R)\) is finite then \(R\) must have only a finite number of overrings, i.e., \(R\) must be an FO domain. The author of the paper under review studies various situations in which \(SSFc(R)\) is finite. He shows that if \( |SSFc(R)|=n+\dim (R)\) then \(R\) has at most \(n-1\) maximal ideals. (Here \(\dim (R)\) denotes the Krull dimension of \(R.)\) He also gives a complete characterization of local domains \(R\) such that \(|SSFc(R)|=3+\dim (R)\) and of nonlocal domains \(R\) such that \(|SSFc(R)|\) \(=|O(R)|\) \(=n+\dim (R),\) when \( n=4,5,6,7.\) A section is allocated to examples and counter-examples to illustrate the limits and scopes of the results.