Idempotent ideals and nonfinitely generated projective modules over integral group rings of polycyclic-by-finite groups. (Q855953)

Let \(\mathbb{Z} G\) be the group ring of \(G\) over the ring \(\mathbb{Z}\) of integers. In the paper under review the authors consider idempotent ideals and nonfinitely generated projective modules over \(\mathbb{Z} G\). In order to state the results we need some definitions. A series of groups \(\{e\}=G_0\subset G_1\subset\cdots\subset G_n\) is said to be a `subnormal series' of a group \(G\) if \(G_n=G\) and each \(G_i\) is a normal subgroup of \(G_{i+1}\), \(i=0,1,\dots,n-1\). A group \(G\) is `soluble' if it has a subnormal series with Abelian factors \(G_{i+1}/G_i\). A group \(G\) is called `polycyclic' if it has a subnormal series with cyclic factors. Since every cyclic group is Abelian, every polycyclic group is soluble. If all factors in a subnormal series of \(G\) are either cyclic or finite, \(G\) is said to be a `polycyclic-by-finite group'. For instance, every polycyclic group is polycyclic-by-finite. The following main results have been obtained. Theorem 5.8. Let \(G\) be a polycyclic-by-finite group which is not polycyclic. Then there exists a projective \(\mathbb{Z} G\)-module \(P\) such that \(P\) has no finitely generated direct summands. In particular, \(P\) is not free. Theorem 6.6. Let \(G\) be a polycyclic-by-finite group. Then the following are equivalent: (1) \(G\) is not polycyclic; (2) there exists a nonfinitely generated projective \(\mathbb{Z} G\)-module that is not free; (3) there exists a projective \(\mathbb{Z} G\)-module \(P\) such that \(P\) has no finitely generated direct summands. The authors also formulate the following interesting Problem 7.5. Is every nonfinitely generated projective module over the integral group ring of a soluble group free?