Direct sums of Rickart modules. (Q441391)

A right \(R\)-module \(M\) with endomorphism ring \(S=\text{End}_R(M)\) is called a Rickart module if the right annihilator in \(M\) of any single element of \(S\) is a direct summand of \(M\). In general, the class of Rickart modules is not closed under direct sums, and it is interesting to study when it has this closure property. The authors establish several nice results, among which we mention: (1) if a module \(M_i\) is \(M_j\)-injective for all \(i<j\in\mathcal I=\{1,\dots,n\}\), then \(\bigoplus_{i=1}^nM_i\) is a Rickart module if and only if \(M_i\) is \(M_j\)-Rickart for all \(i,j\in\mathcal I\); (2) every finitely generated free \(R\)-module is Rickart precisely when \(R\) is a right semihereditary ring; (3) the class of rings \(R\) for which every finitely cogenerated \(R\)-module is Rickart is precisely that of \(V\)-rings. Relevant examples are also provided.