Virtually uniserial modules and rings (Q2292856)

A non-zero left $R$-module $M$ is virtually simple if $M$ is isomorphic to every non-zero submodule, and virtually semi-simple if every submodule is isomorphic to a direct summand. $M$ is virtually uniserial if for every finitely generated non-zero submodule $K,\ K/\text{Jac}(K)$ is virtually simple, and virtually serial if $M$ is a direct sum of virtually uniserial modules. The ring $R$ itself is left virtually uniserial if $_RR$ is, and virtually uniserial if the corresponding property holds also on the right. The purpose of this paper is to describe properties of virtually (uni)serial modules and rings. These are useful generalizations of the well known corresponding properties of (uni)serial modules and rings. For example, the authors show that every virtually uniserial module is uniform and Bézout; if $R$ is a virtually serial ring, then $R/\text{Jac}(R)$ is a finite direct product of matrix rings over principal left ideal domains. Several classes of rings for which every virtually uniserial module is uniserial are described, and structure theorems described for Noetherian virtually uniserial rings, and (commutative) rings over which every (finitely generated) module is virtually serial.