On Divisible and Torsionfree Modules

A ring R is called left P-coherent in case each principal left ideal of R is finitely presented. A left R-module M (resp. right R-module N) is called D-injective (resp. D-flat) if Ext¹(G, M) = 0 (resp. Tor₁(N, G) = 0) for every divisible left R-module G. It is shown that every left R-module over a left P-coherent ring R has a divisible cover; a left R-module M is D-injective if and only if M is the kernel of a divisible precover A → B with A injective; a finitely presented right R-module L over a left P-coherent ring R is D-flat if and only if L is the cokernel of a torsionfree preenvelope K → F with F flat. We also study the divisible and torsionfree dimensions of modules and rings. As applications, some new characterizations of von Neumann regular rings and PP rings are given.