Chase's lemma and its context (Q2666925)

Chase's lemma (Theorem 1.2 in [\textit{S. U. Chase}, Pac. J. Math. 12, 847--854 (1962; Zbl 0115.26002)]) states that if \(A=\prod_{i<\omega}A_i\) is a countable product of left modules over a ring \(R,\ C=\bigoplus_{\alpha\in I} C_\alpha\) is a direct sum of a family of left \(R\)-modules, \(f\colon A\to C\) is a homomorphism, \(f_\alpha\colon A\to C_\alpha\) the composition of \(f\) with the \(\alpha\)-projection, and \(\mathcal F\) is a filter of right ideals of \(R\), then there exists \(aR\) in \(\mathcal F\) and an integer \(n>0\) such that \(f_\alpha(aA_n)\subseteq \bigcap_{bR\in\mathcal F}bC_\alpha\) for all but a finite set of \(\alpha\in I\). This seemingly technical lemma provides a powerful tool for translating properties of products and coproducts into chain conditions. It led to a host of applications in module theory, including structure theorems for abelian \(p\)-groups. In this paper, the author formulates Chase's argument in a categorical context and shows that a version of Chase's lemma holds in additive categories. As a consequence, he obtains a characterization of locally Noetherian Grothendieck categories.