Higher extensions for gentle algebras

Abstract

In this paper we determine extensions of higher degree between indecomposable modules over gentle algebras. In particular, our results show how such extensions either eventually vanish or become periodic. We give a geometric interpretation of vanishing and periodicity of higher extensions in terms of the surface underlying the gentle algebra. For gentle algebras arising from triangulations of surfaces, we give an explicit basis of higher extension spaces between indecomposable modules showing that in this case there is a symmetry of the higher extension spaces.