On some subgroups of infinite rank Butler groups (Q1117329)

A torsion-free abelian group B is called a Butler group if \(Bext(B,T)=0\) for all torsion groups T, where Bext(.,.) is a subfunctor of Ext(.,.) consisting of all the balanced extensions. \textit{D. Arnold} [Boll. Unione Mat. Ital., VI. Ser., A 5, 175-184 (1986; Zbl 0601.20050)] while surveying the various results on countable Butler groups, asked whether countable pure subgroups of an arbitrary Butler group B must again be Butler. The author answers this question in the affirmative for groups B of rank \(\aleph_ 1\). The author introduces the concept of a regular map f from a torsion-free group A to a torsion group T. Such a map has the property that for any pure rank one subgroup R of A, \((f(R))_ p=0\) for almost all primes p. The stated result is obtained as a consequence of the main theorem: If A is a pure separable (in the sense of Paul Hill) subgroup of a torsion-free group B with B/A countable, then each regular map from A to a torsion group T lifts to a regular map from B to the injective hull of T. \{Reviewer's Remark: For two other alternative proofs see the joint paper by \textit{M. Dugas}, \textit{P. Hill} and the reviewer, ``Butler groups of infinite rank II'', Trans. Am. Math. Soc. (to appear).\}