Conductor of an Abelian group. (Q1021437)

The paper deals with direct sum decompositions of reduced torsion-free Abelian groups \(G\) of finite rank. The main tool is the ring \(E=E(G)=\text{End}(G)/\mathcal N\text{End}(G)\) where \(\mathcal N\text{End}(G)\) denotes the nil radical of the endomorphism ring \(\text{End}(G)\). There exists a ring \(\overline E\) such that \(E\subset\overline E\subset\mathbb{Q} E\), \(\overline E/E\) is finite, and \(\overline E\) is integrally closed which means that whenever \(\overline E\subset E'\subset\mathbb{Q} E\) and \(E'/\overline E\) is finite, then \(E'=\overline E\). The ring \(\overline E\) is not unique. Let \(S\) be the center of \(E\). There is a largest ideal \(\tau\) of \(S\) such that \(\tau\overline E\subset E\). This ideal \(\tau\) is the `conductor' of \(E\) or \(G\) that depends on the choice of \(\overline E\). Let \(C_\tau=\{x\in S\mid x+\tau\) is a unit in \(S/\tau\}\) and let \(E_\tau=E[C_\tau^{-1}]\) be the localization of \(E\) at \(C_\tau\) and let \(E(\tau)=\{x\in E\mid \exists\, c\in C_\tau\), \(xc=0\}\). It is then shown (Theorem~3.3) that there exists an ideal \(E^\tau\) of \(E\) such that \(E=E(\tau)\times E^\tau\). A number of functors are used to obtain from the decomposition of \(E\) a similar decomposition \(G=G(\tau)\oplus G^\tau\) of the group \(G\) (Theorem~6.2). It is shown (Theorem~8.1) that under assumptions too lengthy to be explained here, the group \(G\) has unique decompositions and the refinement property up to near isomorphism. The remainder of the paper establishes the existence of a large class of groups that satisfy the assumptions of Theorem~8.1. First, classes of groups are exhibited whose endomorphism rings are Dedekind domains. Theorem~9.7 is the main existence theorem. Choose a finite set \(\{G_1,\dots,G_t\}\) of groups no two of which are quasi-isomorphic, and whose endomorphism rings are Dedekind domains. Let \(P_i\) be a primary ideal of \(\text{End\,}G_i\) and let \(n_1,\dots,n_t\) be positive integers. Then a group \(G\) with \(P_1G_1^{n_1}\oplus\cdots\oplus P_tG_t^{n_t}\subset G\subset G_1^{n_1}\oplus\cdots\oplus G_t^{n_t}\) satisfies the conditions of Theorem~8.1 provided that \(G\) is ``balanced''.