Invariant factors of an endomorphism and finite free resolutions (Q1260969)

The notions of characteristic polynomial, invariant factors, and the rational normal form of an endomorphism \(u\) of a vector space (i.e. a matrix) and the Cayley-Hamilton theorem are generalized to the case that \(u\) is an endomorphism of an \(R\)-module that has a finite free resolution \((R\) is a commutative ring).