No label defined (Q4800147)

Let \(R\) be an associative ring with identity. If for every (right) \(R\)-module \(A\), \(A\) is the direct sum of \(M\) and \(N\), and \(A\) is also the direct sum of \(A_1,\dots,A_n\), where \(M\) and \(R\) are isomorphic, there exist submodules \(A_i'\) of \(A_i\) such that \(A\) is the direct sum of \(M\) and \(A_1',\dots,A_n'\), then \(R\) is called an exchange ring. \(R\) is said to satisfy the \(n\)-stable range condition if, whenever \(a_1R+a_2R+\cdots +a_{n+1}R=R\), \(a_1,\dots,a_{n+1} \in R\), there exist \(b_1,\dots,b_n \in R\) such that \((a_1+a_{n+1}b_1)R+\cdots +(a_n+a_{n+1}b_n)R=R\). In this paper, the authors obtain some characterizations for an exchange ring to satisfy the \(n\)-stable range condition. In addition, the authors prove that every simple separative exchange ring with finite stable range must have stable range one.