The nilpotence of the \(\tau\)-closed prime radical in rings with \(\tau\)-Krull dimension (Q1579151)

Let \(R\) be an associative ring with nonzero unity element and let \(\tau\) be a hereditary torsion theory. A submodule \(N\) of a right \(R\)-module \(M\) is \(\tau\)-dense [resp. \(\tau\)-closed] if \(M/N\) is \(\tau\)-torsion [resp. \(\tau\)-torsion-free]. The \(\tau\)-closure of \(N\) in \(M\) is denoted by \(\overline N\). A right ideal \(A\) of \(R\) is said to be \(\tau\)-nilpotent [resp. \(\tau\)-idempotent] if \(A^n\) [resp. \(A/A^2\)] is \(\tau\)-torsion for some integer \(n\). The relative Krull dimension of a right \(R\)-module is defined as the deviation of the poset of its \(\tau\)-closed submodules. In this paper, the \(\tau\)-nilpotence of the \(\tau\)-closed prime radical, \(N_\tau(R)\) (i.e. the intersection of the \(\tau\)-closed prime ideals), for rings with relative Krull dimension is studied. The main theorem establishes that for a ring with relative Krull dimension the following statements (i), (ii) and (iii) are equivalent. (i) (a) For any two ideals \(A\) and \(B\) of \(R\) with \(B\subseteq N_\tau(R)\), there exists an integer \(k>0\) such that \(\overline AB^k\subseteq\overline{AB}\). (b) \(l_M(N_\tau(R))\not=0\) for any nonzero \(\tau\)-torsion-free right \(R\)-module \(M\). (ii) (a) The \(\tau\)-closure of any \(\tau\)-nilpotent ideal of \(R\) is \(\tau\)-nilpotent. (b) If \(C\subseteq N_\tau(R)\) is a \(\tau\)-closed ideal of \(R\), then \(N_\tau(R/C)=N_\tau(R)/C\) does not contain a nonzero \(\tau_C\)-idempotent ideal of \(R/C\), where \(\tau_C\) is the torsion theory induced by \(\tau\) in \(R/C\). (iii) \(N_\tau(R)\) is \(\tau\)-nilpotent. This result generalizes the classical theorem of \textit{R. Gordon} and \textit{J. C. Robson} [Krull dimension, Mem. Am. Math. Soc. 133 (1973; Zbl 0269.16017)]. The condition that \(\text{Ass}(M)\not=\emptyset\) for every \(\tau\)-torsion-free module \(M\not=0\) is also related to the nilpotence of the relative prime radical. A hereditary torsion theory is said to be ideal invariant if for any ideal \(I\) the right \(R\)-module \(I/DI\) is \(\tau\)-torsion for any \(\tau\)-dense right ideal \(D\). It is shown that if \(\tau\) is an ideal invariant torsion theory on \(\text{Mod-}R\) and \(R\) has relative Krull dimension, then \(N_\tau(R/I)\) is nilpotent for every \(\tau\)-closed ideal \(I\) of \(R\).