Quillen's small object argument in the category of firm modules. (Q2474285)

In order to study modules over a nonunital ring \(R\), Quillen introduced the notions of a firm and of a firm flat module over such \(R\). In this paper the authors show that over such \(R\) every firm module has both a minimal left and a right approximation by a firm flat module. Their proof involves the notion of a locally presentable category and uses Quillen's small object argument. This result then allows them to introduce a version of relative homological algebra where the firm flat modules play the role of the projectives. So then they get relative versions of the extension and torsion functors and show that these have some of the properties of the classical such functors. Finally, they prove the interesting fact that their minimal approximations are preserved by a certain Morita equivalence which has been developed for nonunital rings.