Almost split sequences arising from the preprojective partition (Q1365008)

Given a ring \(R\) the category of right finitely generated \(R\)-modules is denoted by \(\text{mod}(R)\). \textit{M. Auslander} and \textit{S. O. Smalø} [J. Algebra 66, 61-122 (1980; Zbl 0477.16013)]\ constructed the preprojective partition of an Artin algebra \(R\), that is, a collection \(({\mathcal P}_n)_{n=0,1,\dots,\infty}\) of subcategories of \(\text{mod}(R)\) satisfying certain conditions, in particular for every natural \(n\) each module in \(\text{mod}(R)\) having no summand in \(\bigcup_{i=0}^{n-1}{\mathcal P}_i\) is generated by \({\mathcal P}_n\) and \({\mathcal P}_n\) contains only finitely many modules up to isomorphism. The main objective of the paper under review is a criterion for the existence of a preprojective partition for a right artinian ring \(R\). The construction of the sequence \({\mathcal P}_0,{\mathcal P}_1,\dots\) can be repeated in case when \(R\) is an arbitrary right artinian ring. The modules having all indecomposable direct summands in \(\bigcup_{n=0}^\infty{\mathcal P}_n\) are called preprojective. One of the main results of the paper asserts that \(R\) has a preprojective partition provided there exists an almost split sequence starting at \(A\) for every non-injective preprojective module \(A\). The converse of the theorem is proved under the additional assumption that \(R\) is hereditary. The proof of the converse uses tilting theory techniques. As an application the author gives a characterization of preprojective modules over a right artinian hereditary ring admitting a preprojective partition. It is proved in particular that for such rings the following conditions are equivalent for an indecomposable finitely generated module \(C\): (1) \(C\) is preprojective, (2) there exist only finitely many isomorphism classes of indecomposable \(R\)-modules \(X\) with \(\Hom_R(X,C)\neq 0\), (3) there exists a finite path of irreducible maps in \(\text{mod}(R)\) ending at \(C\) and starting at a projective \(R\)-module.