A property of projective ideals in semigroup algebras

Abstract

The condition that certain left ideals in a finite monoid generate projective left ideals in the semigroup algebra imposes a strong restriction on the intersection of principal left ideals in the semigroup. Let S be a finite monoid, k be a commutative ring with identity, and let Ic S be a left ideal in S. We demand that kI be projective as a left kSmodule and investigate the resulting restrictions on the structure of I. In particular we can look for necessary conditions on S for kS to be left hereditary. (A sufficient condition is obtained in [4] and [5].) Semigroup terminology below follows [1] and [2]. We first need the following facts, which are valid in any ring with identity. LEMMA 1. Let R be a ring with identity. Let Ic R be a left ideal which is projective as a left R-module. Let e E R be any idempotent. Then the left ideal I+ Re is projective if and only if JrflRe is a direct summand of L PROOF. We observe that we have the following two short exact sequences: 0 I(1 e) -* I + Re Re > 0, 0OI n Re-I--I I(1 -e)->*O, where the map on the right end of the first sequence is xH-*xe, which has kernel (I+Re) r)R(1 -e)=I(1 -e), and the map on the right end of the second sequence is xF-*x(1 -e). Since Re is projective, the first sequence always splits, so that I+Re is projective if and only if I(1 -e) is. On the other hand, since I is projective, 1(1 -e) is projective if and only if the second sequence splits. Received by the editors June 5, 1972. AMS (MOS) subject classifications (1970). Primary 20M10, 20M25; Secondary 16A32, 16A50, 16A60.