Constructing cogenerators in triangulated categories and Brown representability (Q2341532)

A well-known result of \textit{A. Neeman} (Theorem 8.6.1 in [Triangulated categories. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press (2001; Zbl 0974.18008)]), establishes Brown representability for covariant functors in compactly generated triangulated categories. Weakening this, for \(\alpha\) a regular cardinal greater than \(\aleph_0\) we would like to know when an \(\alpha\)-compactly generated (also called well generated) triangulated category satisfies Brown representability. The paper under review contributes several criteria for this to be the case. The paper formalizes the approach found in [\textit{G. C. Modoi}, Bull. Lond. Math. Soc. 46, No. 4, 765--770 (2014; Zbl 1314.18015)], and generalizes a formal criterion given by \textit{H. Krause} in Theorem B of [Topology 41, No. 4, 853--861 (2002; Zbl 1009.18010)]. The formal criteria (Theorem 1.5, Corollary 1.6, Corollary 1.7) cannot be stated without defining powers of ideals, phantoms and cophantoms. Instead, here we give the gist of how these criteria are proven. Let \(\mathsf{T}\) be a triangulated category and \(\mathsf{T}^o\) its opposite, with shift \(\Sigma\). We say \(\mathsf{T}\) (respectively, \(\mathsf{T}^o\)) is deconstructible if \(\mathsf{T}\) has coproducts (products) and there is a \(\Sigma\)-stable set \(\mathsf{S}\subseteq \mathsf{T}\), which is not a proper class, such that every object \(X\in \mathsf{T}\) is \(\S\)-filtered (cofiltered). Theorem 8 in [\textit{G. C. Modoi}, J. Algebra 392, 115--124 (2013; Zbl 1301.18014)] shows that if \(\mathsf{T}^o\) is deconstructible, then \(\mathsf{T}^o\) satisfies Brown representability. Here, Modoi's criteria result in a set of cogenerators \(\mathsf{S}\) such that \(\mathsf{T}^o\) is deconstructible. In the second section, we have two applications. Theorem 2.1 recovers the main result of [Zbl 1314.18015]: The homotopy category of projective modules over a ring with several objects satisfies Brown representability for covariant functors. For example, if the ring is not left coherent then the homotopy category of projective right modules has to be only \(\aleph_1\)-compactly generated and this theorem guarantees Brown representability. The second application is to quivers. If \(Q\) is a quiver and \(Proj\)-\((R,Q)\) is the category of projective objects in the category \(Mod\)-\((R,Q)\), then \(K(Proj\)-\((R,Q))\) satisfies Brown representability for covariant functors.