On regular modules over commutative rings (Q2421373)

The concept of a regular module was first defined by \textit{D. J. Fieldhouse} [Math. Ann. 184, 1--18 (1969; Zbl.0174.06902)], though many other authors made different definitions. This paper follows Fieldhouse's definition, i.e. a module \(M\) over a ring (not necessarily commutative, although this paper deals only with commutative rings) is regular if each submodule \(N\) of \(M\) is pure in \(M\). Let \(\mathrm{rad}(N)\) denote the intersection of all prime submodules of \(M\) containing \(N\). The following new characterization of a regular \(R\)-module \(M\) forms one of the main results of the paper: An \(R\)-module \(M\) is regular if and only if \(\mathrm{rad}(N)=N\) for all proper submodules \(N\) of \(M\). This characterization is used to find properties of regular modules and an alternative proof is given for the result that a ring is regular if and only if every \(R\)-module is regular. Two of the interesting results that follow, are that the dimension of a regular module is \(0\) and a nonzero regular module \(M\) is Noetherian if and only if it is Artinian. Nakayama's lemma is also shown to be true for regular modules. A characterization of regular module in terms of an explicit expression for its submodules is given in the final section of the paper.