Generalized Fitting modules and rings. (Q868863)

Let \(R\) be an associative ring with identity. All modules considered are left unitary \(R\)-modules. A module \(M\) is called: (i) Hopfian (resp. co-Hopfian) if every surjective (resp. injective) endomorphism of \(M\) is an automorphism; (ii) Fitting module if for every endomorphism \(f\) of \(M\), there exists an integer \(n\geq 1\) such that \(M=\text{Ker\,}f^n\oplus\text{Im\,}f^n\). The authors give the following definition: \(M\) is called strongly Hopfian (resp. strongly co-Hopfian) if for every endomorphism \(f\) of \(M\) the ascending (resp. descending) chain \(\text{Ker\,}f\subseteq\text{Ker\,}f^2\subseteq\cdots\subseteq\text{Ker\,}f^n\subseteq\cdots\) (resp. \(\text{Im\,}f\supseteq\text{Im\,}f^2\supseteq\cdots\supseteq\text{Im\,}f^n\supseteq\cdots\)) stabilizes. A strongly Hopfian or stronlgy co-Hopfian module will be called a generalized Fitting module. The main results established by the authors are: (1) The class of strongly Hopfian (resp. strongly co-Hopfian) modules lies between the class of Noetherian (resp. Artinian) modules and the class of Hopfian (resp. co-Hopfian) modules; (2) If \(M\) is quasi-projective strongly co-Hopfian (resp. quasi-injective strongly Hopfian), then \(M\) is strongly Hopfian (resp. strongly co-Hopfian); (3) Every stronlgy co-Hopfian ring is strongly Hopfian; (4) For a commutative ring \(A\), the polynomial ring \(A[X]\) is strongly Hopfian if and only if so is \(A\).