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The graded horseshoe lemma for finite graded projective resolutions

Statement

Fix m≥1 and let Am-mod be the abelian category of finite generated graded left Am-modules and degree-zero maps of Finite graded A_m-modules, internal shifts and the vertex projectives. Let 0→M′→iM→qM′′→0 be degreewise exact in Am-mod, so that i is injective, q is surjective and im⁡i=ker⁡q degreewise, and suppose that M′ admits a finite graded projective resolution of length at most a and M′′ one of length at most b, in the sense that the resolutions 0→Pa′→⋯→P1′→P0′→ε′M′→0,0→Pb′′→⋯→P1′′→P0′′→ε′′M′′→0 consist of finitely generated graded projective modules with Pn′=0 for n>a and Pn′′=0 for n>b. Then M admits a finite graded projective resolution of length at most max⁡(a,b), that is, there is an exact sequence 0→Pmax⁡(a,b)→⋯→P1→P0→εM→0 of finitely generated graded projectives with Pn=0 for n>max⁡(a,b).

In particular, writing pd⁡ for the least such length (so that pd⁡X=0 exactly when X is finite graded projective, and the zero module has pd⁡0=0), every degreewise extension of two objects of finite projective dimension has finite projective dimension with pd⁡M≤max⁡(pd⁡M′,pd⁡M′′). The argument is a horseshoe construction carried out on elements of graded modules and selects only finitely many lifts; it uses no choice principle and no arbitrary-abelian-category element chase.

Facts & Assumptions

Given: An integer m≥1, the abelian category Am-mod over the algebra Am, and a degreewise short exact sequence 0→M′→M→M′′→0 in it.

[L1]

Am-mod is the abelian category of finitely generated graded left Am-modules and degree-zero maps; kernels, cokernels and finite biproducts are computed degreewise and a sequence is exact precisely when it is exact degreewise; each vertex projective Pi=Amei is a finite graded projective left Am-module (Finite graded A_m-modules, internal shifts and the vertex projectives).

[L2]

Am is free of rank 4m+1 as a graded abelian group with basis the 4m+1 displayed vertex, arrow and return classes, so its underlying Z-module is free of finite rank 4m+1 (The 4m+1 path basis).

[F3]

Every principal ideal domain is Noetherian; Z is a principal ideal domain (Every principal ideal domain is Noetherian).

[L4]

Every finitely generated left module over a left Noetherian ring is Noetherian (Finitely generated modules over a left Noetherian ring are Noetherian).

[F5]

A unital ring R is left Noetherian when its left regular module RR is Noetherian, and unqualified "Noetherian ring" means left Noetherian (Left and right Noetherian rings).

[L6]

A left R-module M is Noetherian when every submodule of M is finitely generated (Noetherian modules: every submodule is finitely generated).

[F7]

A graded left Am-module P is graded projective when every degree-zero epimorphism q:E↠M and every degree-zero f:P→M admit a degree-zero lift f~:P→E with qf~=f, and P is finite graded projective when in addition it is generated by finitely many homogeneous elements; the zero module is finite graded projective (Finite graded projective modules).

[L8]

A graded left A-module P is finite graded projective if and only if it is a degree-zero direct summand of a finite direct sum of internal shifts A{r1}⊕⋯⊕A{rn} (Finite graded projectives are finite shifted-free summands).

[F9]

A projective resolution of an object X of an abelian category is an augmented chain complex ⋯→P1→P0→εX→0 with every Pn projective that is exact at every displayed term (Projective resolutions in an abelian category).

[F10]

For an Am-linear degree-zero map f:X→Y of graded left Am-modules, the kernel and the image are graded submodules of X and Y and are computed degreewise; a map is a monomorphism exactly when it is injective and an epimorphism exactly when it is surjective (Graded modules with degree-zero maps form an abelian category).

Proof

technique · direct
1.1

Am is left Noetherian. By [L2] the underlying Z-module of Am is free of finite rank, hence finitely generated, and Z is Noetherian by [F3]; so Am is a Noetherian Z-module by [L4], which by [L6] means that every Z-submodule of Am is finitely generated as a Z-module. A left ideal of Am is a Z-submodule, so every left ideal is finitely generated as a Z-module and hence as a left ideal; since the submodules of the left regular module AAm are exactly the left ideals, the regular module is Noetherian and [F5] makes Am left Noetherian.

L2F3L4F5L6
1.2

The lift and the comparison map φ. For the augmentation ε′′:P0′′→M′′ of [F9] and the epimorphism q:M→M′′, the module P0′′ is finite graded projective and q is a degree-zero epimorphism, so the lifting property of [F7] produces a degree-zero g:P0′′→M with qg=ε′′. Let φ:P0′⊕P0′′→M be the degree-zero map φ(x′,x′′):=iε′(x′)+g(x′′); both summands lie in M, and φ is Am-linear because i, ε′ and g are.

F7F9
1.3

Projectivity of the prepended term. The direct sum P0′⊕P0′′ is a finite graded projective left Am-module: by [L8] the modules P0′ and P0′′ are degree-zero direct summands of finite direct sums of shifts of Am, and the direct sum of two such summands, with the summand inclusions and projections added componentwise, is a degree-zero direct summand of the direct sum of the two finite direct sums of shifts, which is again a finite direct sum of shifts of Am; so [L8] applies to P0′⊕P0′′.

L8F7
1.4

The horseshoe recursion. We prove by induction on N≥0 the statement P(N): for every degreewise short exact sequence 0→M′→M→M′′→0 in Am-mod and all integers a,b≥0 with max⁡(a,b)≤N such that M′ has a finite graded projective resolution of length at most a and M′′ one of length at most b, the module M has a finite graded projective resolution of length at most max⁡(a,b).

2.1

Submodules of finitely generated graded modules are finitely generated. Let N be a finitely generated graded left Am-module and S≤N a submodule. Then N is a finitely generated left module over the left Noetherian ring Am of step 1.1, so [L4] makes N Noetherian, and by [L6] the submodule S is finitely generated over Am. Applied to S a graded submodule, this gives a finite Am-generating family of S, which by the homogeneous-component rewriting recorded in [F7] may be taken homogeneous; in particular the kernel of any degree-zero map of finitely generated graded left Am-modules is again an object of Am-mod.

step 1.1L4L6F7
2.2

φ is an epimorphism. Let m∈M. Since ε′′:P0′′→M′′ is surjective by [F9], there is x′′∈P0′′ with q(m)=ε′′(x′′)=qg(x′′); then m−g(x′′)∈ker⁡q=im⁡i, so m−g(x′′)=i(m′) for some m′∈M′, and surjectivity of ε′ gives x′∈P0′ with ε′(x′)=m′. Thus φ(x′,x′′)=iε′(x′)+g(x′′)=i(m′)+g(x′′)=m, so φ is surjective and hence an epimorphism by [F10].

step 1.2F9F10
3.1

The kernel stays finitely generated. Let K:=ker⁡φ≤P0′⊕P0′′. The module P0′ is finite graded projective, in particular finitely generated, and so is P0′′; hence P0′⊕P0′′ is finitely generated as a graded left Am-module, and by step 2.1 the submodule K is finitely generated, so K is an object of Am-mod.

step 2.1F7
4.1

The syzygy sequence is degreewise short exact. Put K′:=ker⁡ε′≤P0′ and K′′:=ker⁡ε′′≤P0′′. The projection π:K→K′′, (x′,x′′)↦x′′, lands in K′′: if φ(x′,x′′)=iε′(x′)+g(x′′)=0, then ε′′(x′′)=qg(x′′)=−qiε′(x′)=0. The inclusion ȷ:K′→K, x′↦(x′,0), has image exactly ker⁡π, since (x′,0)∈K means iε′(x′)=0, equivalently ε′(x′)=0 because i is injective. The map π is surjective: given x′′∈K′′, one has qg(x′′)=ε′′(x′′)=0, so g(x′′)=i(m′) for some m′∈M′; choose x′∈P0′ with ε′(x′)=−m′, possible because ε′ is surjective. Then φ(x′,x′′)=−i(m′)+g(x′′)=0, and (x′,x′′)∈K maps to x′′. These are degree-zero module maps, and [L1] makes 0→K′→ȷK→πK′′→0 degreewise exact in Am-mod; K,K′,K′′ are finite graded modules by step 3.1 and step 2.1.

step 2.1step 3.1L1F10

Base case N=0. Here a=b=0, so the resolutions 0→P0′→ε′M′→0 and 0→P0′′→ε′′M′′→0 are exact, so ε′ and ε′′ are isomorphisms and K′=K′′=0. By step 4.1 the sequence 0→0→K→0→0 is degreewise exact, so K=0; by steps 1.2 and 2.2 the map φ:P0′⊕P0′′→M is an epimorphism with zero kernel, hence an isomorphism by [F10], and M is finite graded projective by step 1.3. So 0→P0′⊕P0′′→φM→0 is a finite graded projective resolution of M of length 0=max⁡(a,b), and P(0) holds.

Inductive step. Assume N≥1 and P(N−1), and let a,b with c:=max⁡(a,b)≤N be given. If c=0, the base-case argument already proves the claim. Suppose c≥1. If a≥1, set a∗:=a−1; if a=0, set a∗:=0. Then a∗≤N−1 in both cases, because a≥1 gives a−1≤N−1 and a=0 gives a∗=0≤N−1 as N≥1. Define b∗ from b in the same way, so b∗≤N−1 as well. First syzygies have resolutions of these lengths: if a≥1, the exactness of the resolution of [F9] at P1′,…,Pa−1′ and the vanishing Pa+1′=0 show that 0→Pa′→⋯→P1′→K′→0 is a finite graded projective resolution of K′ of length a−1=a∗; if a=0, then K′=0 and the zero complex 0→0→K′→0 is a finite graded projective resolution of K′ of length 0=a∗, the zero module being finite graded projective by [F7]; the same alternative holds for K′′ with b∗. By step 4.1 the sequence 0→K′→K→K′′→0 is degreewise short exact in Am-mod, so P(N−1) applies to it with the bounds a∗,b∗ and yields a finite graded projective resolution of K of length at most max⁡(a∗,b∗)=c−1≤N−1. Prepending the epimorphism φ:P0′⊕P0′′→M of step 1.2, with kernel K the finitely generated module of step 3.1, produces 0→⋯→P0→φM→0 with P0:=P0′⊕P0′′ finite graded projective by step 1.3 and all higher terms those of the resolution of K, so M has a finite graded projective resolution of length at most max⁡(a∗,b∗)+1=c=max⁡(a,b)≤N, and P(N) holds.

Every step of the recursion is a single application of the lifting property of [F7] and finitely many element choices inside a fixed module, and the induction hypothesis is applied to finitely many sequences; no family indexed by an infinite set is selected. [step 1.2, step 2.2, step 3.1, step 4.1, step 1.3, F7, F9, F10]

5.1

Conclusion. Applying P(N) of step 1.4 with N:=max⁡(a,b) proves the first claim: a degreewise short exact sequence 0→M′→M→M′′→0 in Am-mod whose outer terms carry finite graded projective resolutions of lengths at most a and b makes M carry one of length at most max⁡(a,b); taking a=pd⁡M′ and b=pd⁡M′′ gives pd⁡M≤max⁡(pd⁡M′,pd⁡M′′), and the construction never selects more than finitely many lifts, so no choice principle is used.

step 1.4F7∎

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