Additive rank functions and Gabriel filters in right Noetherian rings (Q914803)

An additive rank function for a right Noetherian ring R is a function which to each finitely generated right R-module M assigns a non-negative integer \(\lambda\) (M) and which is additive on short exact sequences of finitely generated right R-modules. It is shown that the set of right ideals A of R such that \(\lambda (R/A)=0\) is a Gabriel filter on R for which R satisfies the descending chain condition on closed right ideals. It is also shown that any such Gabriel filter on R gives rise, by means of length of the modular lattice of closed submodules, to an additive rank function. In the case where the Gabriel filter has been constructed from an additive rank function as described above, the author gives a comparison of the resulting additive rank function with the original. This comparison is in terms of decompositions as linear combinations of certain basic additive rank functions arising from the minimal prime ideals of R.