Mittag-Leffler modules (Q1377646)

This paper continues the long-running project of a varied group of reseachers in algebra and logic to recognize concepts of model theory as algebraic ideas in the theory of modules, and addresses some classical problems in module theory. Here the concept of Mittag-Leffler module (due to Raynaud and Gruson) is shown to have a natural and interesting model-theoretic interpretation. The natural way of making model-theoretic concepts algebraic for theories of modules is to restrict them to the class of positive primitive formulas. Thus ``saturated models'' are generalized to ``positively saturated modules'', which turn out to be the ubiquitous and important pure-injective modules. Here ``atomic models'' are generalized to ``positively atomic modules''. It is these that turn out to be precisely the Mittag-Leffler modules. With this model-theoretic interpretation in hand, a handful of applications follow, including: All reduced products of left Mittag-Leffler \(R\)-modules are Mittag-Leffler if and only if all left \(R\)-modules are Mittag-Leffler if and only if \(R\) is left pure-semisimple. Any direct product of left Mittag-Leffler \(R\)-modules is Mittag-Leffler if and only if for every \(n\) the lattice of positive primitive right \(R\)-module formulas in \(n\) free variables is complete, and these are equivalent to the symmetrical statements. This paper shows a very interesting interplay between algebraic techniques and concepts from model theory.