Rings whose cyclic modules are direct sums of extending modules

Abstract

Dedekind domains, Artinian serial rings and right uniserial rings share the following property: Every cyclic right module is a direct sum of uniform modules. We first prove the following improvement of the well-known Osofsky-Smith theorem: A cyclic module with every cyclic subfactor a direct sum of extending modules has finite Goldie dimension. So, rings with the above-mentioned property are precisely rings of the title. Furthermore, a ring R is right q.f.d. (cyclics with finite Goldie dimension) if proper cyclic (≇ R R ) right R-modules are direct sums of extending modules. R is right serial with all prime ideals maximal and ∩ n ∈ ℕ J n = J m for some m ∈ ℕ if cyclic right R-modules are direct sums of quasi-injective modules. A right non-singular ring with the latter property is right Artinian. Thus, hereditary Artinian serial rings are precisely one-sided non-singular rings whose right and left cyclic modules are direct sums of quasi-injectives. © 2012 Glasgow Mathematical Journal Trust.