A note on indecomposable modules over valuation domains (Q1904088)

This note was motivated by the results of Luigi Salce and Paolo Zanardo on the existence and the structure of indecomposable finitely generated modules and indecomposable finite rank torsion-free modules over valuation domains. \textit{P. Zanardo} [Ann. Univ. Ferrara, Nuova Ser., Sez. VII 31, 71-89 (1985; Zbl 0598.13004)] introduced the concept of \(u\)-independent sets of units in a maximal immediate extension of \(R\) and used them to construct finitely generated indecomposable modules. We introduce the notion of quadratic \(u\)-independence. We show that in most valuation domains there exist quadratically \(u\)-independent sets of arbitrary finite cardinality. Quadratically \(u\)-independent sets and compatible triples of ideals are used to construct new examples of finitely generated modules with local endomorphism ring. In fact, it follows from our construction that over most valuation domains, indecomposable finitely generated modules \(M\) exist such that the only condition on the two numerical invariants of \(M\) (its length and its Goldie dimension) is the necessary condition that the Goldie dimension of the module \(M\) must be less than its length. In the finite rank torsion-free setting, the same concept of quadratic \(u\)-independence facilitates the construction of indecomposable modules of a new type. Analogous to the finitely generated case, our construction reveals that over most valuation domains, indecomposable torsion-free modules \(M\) of finite rank exist such that the only requirement on the rank of the module and the rank of its basic submodules is the obviously necessary condition that the basic submodules must have rank less than the rank of \(M\).