Flat torsionfree modules and QF-\(3\) rings (Q1324953)

The authors study two different generalizations to rings of the concept of \(\text{QF-}3\) algebra introduced by R. M. Thrall. On the one hand, they consider the rings \(R\) such that the injective envelope \(E(_ RR)\) is flat and, on the other, the rings such that each finitely generated submodule of \(E(_ RR)\) is torsionless. They show that, if \(R\) has DCC on rationally closed left ideals, then these two conditions (on either side) are equivalent. This comes as a consequence of their study of left FTF rings, defined as the rings \(R\) for which the class of left \(R\)- modules that are embeddable in flat modules is a torsionfree class for a (hereditary) torsion theory \(\tau_ 0\). Indeed, the main result of the paper is that \(R\) is left FTF and \(\tau_ 0\)-artinian if and only if \(R\) has DCC on left annihilators and every finitely generated submodule of \(E(_ RR)\) is torsionless, if and only if \(R\) has DCC and ACC on left annihilators and \(E(_ RR)\) is flat. In the last part of the paper it is shown that the property of being left FTF passes to the ring of quotients with respect to \(\tau_ 0\). Also, a characterization is given of the rings \(R\) such that each finitely generated submodule of \(E(_ RR)\) is torsionless and \(R\) has a QF left classical ring of fractions.