Two theorems on the vanishing of Ext (Q6967247)

Let \(R\) be a commutative Noetherian local ring with unique maximal ideal \(\mathfrak{m}\). An ideal \(I\) of \(R\) is said to be a \textit{Burch ideal} if \(\mathfrak{m}I\neq\mathfrak{m}(I:_{R}\mathfrak{m})\); an \(R\)-module \(M\) is called \textit{rigid} if \(\text{Ext}^1_R(M,M)=0\). In this paper, the authors first show that there are no Burch ideals which are rigid over non-regular local domains. In [Math. Ann. 299, No. 3, 449--476 (1994; Zbl 0803.13008)], \textit{C. Huneke} and \textit{R. Wiegand} made the following conjecture.\N\N\textbf{Conjecture}. Let \(R\) be a one-dimensional Gorenstein ring and let \(M\) be a torsion-free \(R\)-module that has rank. If \(M\) is rigid, then \(M\) is free.\N\NThe second main result of this paper reformulates the Conjecture in terms of the vanishing of \(\text{Ext}\). More precisely, it is shown that the following conditions are equivalent: (a) The Conjecture holds over each (one-dimensional Gorenstein local) domain. (b) Whenever \(R\) is a \(d\)-dimensional Gorenstein domain and \(M\) is a torsion-free \(R\)-module such that \(\text{Ext}^i_R(M,M)=0\) for all \(i=1,\dots,d\), it follows that \(M\) is free.