Fisher [10] and Baur [6] showed independently in the seventies that if T is a complete first-order theory extending the theory of modules, then the class of models of T with pure embeddings is stable. In [25, 2.12], it is asked if the same is true for any abstract elementary class $(K, \leq _p)$ such that K is a class of modules and $\leq _p$ is the pure submodule relation. In this paper we give some instances where this is true:Theorem.

Assume R is an associative ring with unity. Let $(K, \leq _p)$ be an AEC such that $K \subseteq R\text {-Mod}$

and K is closed under finite direct sums, then:

• • If K is closed under pure-injective envelopes, then $\mathbf {K}$ is $\lambda $ -stable for every $\lambda \geq \operatorname {LS}(\mathbf {K})$ such that $\lambda ^{|R| + \aleph _0}= \lambda $ .

• • If K is closed under pure submodules and pure epimorphic images, then $\mathbf {K}$ is $\lambda $ -stable for every $\lambda $ such that $\lambda ^{|R| + \aleph _0}= \lambda $ .

• • Assume R is Von Neumann regular. If $\mathbf {K}$ is closed under submodules and has arbitrarily large models, then $\mathbf {K}$ is $\lambda $ -stable for every $\lambda $ such that $\lambda ^{|R| + \aleph _0}= \lambda $ .

As an application of these results we give new characterizations of noetherian rings, pure-semisimple rings, Dedekind domains, and fields via superstability. Moreover, we show how these results can be used to show a link between being good in the stability hierarchy and being good in the axiomatizability hierarchy.

Another application is the existence of universal models with respect to pure embeddings in several classes of modules. Among them, the class of flat modules and the class of $\mathfrak {s}$ -torsion modules.

A module M is called a D4-module if, whenever A and B are submodules of M with M = A ⊕ B and f : A → B is a homomorphism with Imf a direct summand of B, then Kerf is a direct summand of A. The class of D4-modules contains the class of D3-modules, and hence the class of semi-projective modules, and so the class of Rickart modules. In this paper we prove that, over a commutative Dedekind domain R, for an R-module M which is a direct sum of cyclic submodules, M is direct projective (equivalently, it is semi-projective) iff M is D3 iff M is D4. Also we prove that, over a prime PI-ring, for a divisible R-module X, X is direct projective (equivalently, it is Rickart) iff X ⊕ X is D4. We determine some D3-modules and D4-modules over a discrete valuation ring, as well. We give some relevant examples. We also provide several examples on D3-modules and D4-modules via quivers.

The study of pure-injectivity is accessed from an alternative point of view. A module M is called pure-subinjective relative to a module N if for every pure extension K of N, every homomorphism N → M can be extended to a homomorphism K → M. The pure-subinjectivity domain of the module M is defined to be the class of modules N such that M is N-pure-subinjective. Basic properties of the notion of pure-subinjectivity are investigated. We obtain characterizations for various types of rings and modules, including absolutely pure (or, FP-injective) modules, von Neumann regular rings and (pure-) semisimple rings in terms of pure-subinjectivity domains. We also consider cotorsion modules, endomorphism rings of certain modules, and, for a module N, (pure) quotients of N-pure-subinjective modules.

In this note, we have obtained a Whitehead-like tower of a module by considering a suitable set of morphisms and shown that the different stages of the tower are the Adams cocompletions of the module with respect to the suitably chosen set of morphisms.

In a multiplication module, prime submodules have the following property: if a prime submodule contains a finite intersection of submodules, then one of the submodules is contained in the prime submodule. In this paper, we generalize this property to infinite intersection of submodules and call such prime submodules strongly prime submodules. A multiplication module in which every prime submodule is strongly prime will be called a strongly 0-dimensional module. It is also an extension of strongly 0-dimensional rings. After this we investigate properties of strongly 0-dimensional modules and give relations of von Neumann regular modules, $Q$-modules and strongly 0-dimensional modules.

We prove that neat and coneat submodules of a module coincide when $R$ is a commutative ring such that every maximal ideal is principal, extending a recent result by Fuchs. We characterise absolutely neat (coneat) modules and study their closure properties. We show that a module is absolutely neat if and only if it is injective with respect to the Dickson torsion theory.

In this corrigendum to the paper, “Goldie*-supplemented modules” [1], we present revised Propositions 3.7 and 3.12 and correct some typographical errors.

Motivated by a relation on submodules of a module used by both A. W. Goldie and P. F. Smith, we say submodules X, Y of M are β* equivalent, Xβ*Y, if and only if is small in and is small in . We show that the β* relation is an equivalence relation and has good behaviour with respect to addition of submodules, homomorphisms and supplements. We apply these results to introduce the class of -supplemented modules and to investigate this class and the class of H-supplemented modules. These classes are located among various well-known classes of modules related to the class of lifting modules. Moreover these classes are used to explore an open question of S. H. Mohamed and B. J. Mueller. Examples are provided to illustrate and delimit the theory.

In this paper we introduce -non-cosingular modules, dual Baer modules and -modules. We prove that a module M is lifting and -non-cosingular if and only if it is a dual Baer and -module. Rings for which all modules are dual Baer are precisely determined. We also give a necessary condition for a finite direct sum of dual Baer modules to be dual Baer.

Let $R$ be an associative ring with unity. Then $R$ is said to be a right McCoy ring when the equation $f\left( x \right)g\left( x \right)\,=\,0$ (over $R\left[ x \right]$), where $0\,\ne \,f\left( x \right)$, $g\left( x \right)\,\in \,R\left[ x \right]$, implies that there exists a nonzero element $c\,\in \,R$ such that $f\left( x \right)c\,=\,0$. In this paper, we characterize some basic ring extensions of right McCoy rings and we prove that if $R$ is a right McCoy ring, then $R\left[ x \right]/\left( {{x}^{n}} \right)$ is a right McCoy ring for any positive integer $n\,\ge \,2$.

The unit sum number u(R) of a ring R is the least k such that every element is the sum of k units; if there is no such k then u(R) is ω or ∞ depending whether the units generate R additively or not. If RM is a left R-module, then the unit sum number of M is defined to be the unit sum number of the endomorphism ring of M. Here we show that if R is a ring such that R/J(R) is semisimple and is not a factor of R/J(R) and if P is a projective R-module such that JP ≪ P, (JP small in P), then u(P)= 2. As a result we can see that if P is a projective module over a perfect ring then u(P)=2.

In this note it is shown that for $k$ a field, and for the four-dimensional algebra $\Lambda=k\langle x,y\rangle /\langle x^2,y^2,xy+qyx\rangle$ when $q^n\neq 1,0$ for all $n$, there exist a two-dimensional module $M$ and a family of two-dimensional modules $M_i$, $i=1,2,\ldots$, such that $\dim_k\Ext^i_\Lambda(M,M_j)=1$ for $i$ equal to 0, $j$ and $j+1$, and $\dim_k\Ext^i_\Lambda(M,M_j)=0$ otherwise. This is probably the most straightforward example giving a negative answer to a question raised by Maurice Auslander.