Localizations of torsion-free Abelian groups. (Q1879676)

The author considers the localizations of torsion-free Abelian groups, more precisely, the localizations of free groups, of cotorsion-free groups, and of finite rank Butler groups. For Abelian groups \(A,B\) a homomorphism \(\alpha\colon A\to B\) is said to be a `localization' of \(A\) if, for all \(f\colon A\to B\), there is a unique \(\varphi\colon B\to B\) such that \(f=\varphi\circ\alpha\). If \(F\) is a free Abelian group and \(R\) an \(E\)-ring then the homomorphism \(\alpha_{F,R}\colon F\to F\otimes R\) defined by \(\alpha(f)=f\otimes 1\) is always a localization of \(F\), called a `standard localization' of \(F\). However, it is shown in the article that, for any free Abelian group \(F\) of rank \(\kappa<\aleph_\mu\) (\(\aleph_\mu\): first measurable cardinal), there is an injective localization \(\alpha\colon F\to M\) which is not a standard localization of \(F\), i.e., \(M\) is not a free module over any \(E\)-ring. Moreover, it is shown that standard localizations are uniquely determined in the following sense: If \(F\) is a free Abelian group of rank \(\kappa\) and \(\beta\colon F\to L\) is an injective localization of \(F\) such that \(L\) is a free module of rank \(\lambda\) over some \(E\)-ring \(S\), then \(\kappa=\lambda\) and there is \(\delta\in\Aut(L)\) such that \(\beta=\delta\circ\alpha_{F,S}\). For arbitrary Abelian groups \(B\), the homomorphism \(\alpha_{B,R}\) defined as above is not always a localization of \(B\). However, using the combinatorial principle `Strong Black Box' (which holds in ZFC), the author proves that, given a cotorsion-free Abelian group \(B\), there is a proper class of \(\aleph_1\)-free \(E\)-rings \(R\) such that \(\alpha_{B,R}\) is a localization. Finally, given \(n\geq m\) and a Butler group \(G\) of finite rank \(m>1\) such that \(G\) is \(p\)-reduced for at least four distinct primes \(p\) and \(\text{End}(G)=\mathbb{Z}\), it is shown that there exists an injective localization \(\alpha\colon G\to M\) such that \(M\) is a Butler group of rank \(2n\).