Flat resolvents, minimal injective resolutions and negative torsion functors (Q4029259)

The object of this paper is the study the so-called negative torsion functors \(\text{Tor}^ R_ n(\cdot,\cdot)\), \(n<0\). We follow the author's practice of writing such \(\text{Tor}^ R_ n(\cdot,\cdot)\) as \(\text{Tor}_ R^{-n}(\cdot,\cdot)\). To define these one defines a flat resolvent of an \(R\)-module \(M\) as a complex of the form \(0\to M\to F^ 0\to F^ 1\to\cdots\) where the \(F^ i\) are flat and the sequence obtained by applying \(\Hom_ R(\cdot,F)\) is exact for any flat \(R\)-module \(F\). Of course these do not always exist, but are known to exist in certain cases. It is then shown that for \(n>0\), the definitions of \(\text{Tor}^ n_ R(M,N)\) as the \(n\)-th homology of either \({\mathbf F}\otimes N\) or of \(M\otimes{\mathbf E}\) agree, where \({\mathbf E}\) is a minimal injective resolution of \(N\), and that \(\text{Tor}^ n_ R(M,N)\) behaves as expected with respect to localization, limits, and long exact sequences. It then follows for example that if \(R\) is a Gorenstein local ring then \(\text{Tor}^ n_ R(M,R)=0\) for all \(M\), and if \(R\) is a regular local ring, \(\text{Tor}^ n_ R(M,N)=0\) for all \(M\), \(N\) and all \(n>0\). Complete resolutions are defined as certain complexes obtained by putting together resolutions of the form \(\cdots\to F_ 1\to F_ 0\to M\to 0\) and \(0\to M\to F^ 0\to F^ 1\to\cdots\). In the special case that \(R=ZG\), where \(G\) is a finite group and \(M=Z\), with the trivial action, then the flat resolvent part of a complete resolution is furnished by Tate's resolution, and thus \(\text{Tor}^ n_ R(M,N)\) can be considered a generalization of the Tate homology modules.