Model theory of modules over a serial ring (Q1842127)

A module is said to be uniserial if its submodules are totally ordered by inclusion. A ring \(R\) is said to be serial if \(R_ R\) (\(R\) as a right- module over itself) and \({}_ R R\) (\(R\) as a left-module over itself) are sums of uniserial modules. In fact a serial ring \(R\) is local exactly when both \(R_ R\) and \({}_ R R\) are uniserial. A commutative local serial ring is exactly a valuation ring. The authors use the Drozd-Warfield characterization of serial rings [\textit{Yu. A. Drozd}, Mat. Zametki 18, 705-710 (1975; Zbl 0318.16009); \textit{R. B. Warfield jun.}, J. Algebra 37, 187-222 (1975; Zbl 0319.16025)] to give a simple description of positive-primitive formulas in the theory of modules over such a ring. They furthermore give a description of indecomposable pure-injective modules over a serial ring in terms of certain pairs \(\langle I, J\rangle\) of a left ideal \(I\) and a right ideal \(J\) of the serial ring. These results generalize those of \textit{M. Ziegler} [Ann. Pure Appl. Logic 26, 149-213 (1984; Zbl 0593.16019)]. They also study when the lattice of positive primitive formulas in one variable is distributive (the operations are \(+\) and \(\cap\)). They show that when the ring is local, this is the case if and only if the ring is serial and also that for a commutative ring this is the case when the ring is arithmetical (a class larger than the class of serial rings). Finally, the authors consider the following open question for a ring \(R\) which is commutative and local serial (i.e. a valuation ring): Is every pure injective indecomposable \(R\)-module the pure injective hull of a uniserial module? They give conditions which imply an affirmative answer, which gives an affirmative answer for all valuation rings that they know of. They conclude by showing that their question is open only for the case when the pure-injective indecomposable is injective. The authors give many basic notions and results from model theory and from algebra. This paper could be a very nice first reading in model theory for an algebraist or in model theoretical algebra for a logician.