The Jordan-Hölder theorem and the Grothendieck group construction

We study a relationship between simple modules and finitely dimensional modules.

Is every simple module finite dimensional

Definition
In a suitable category (like RepK Q , A-Mod K-Vect) pair of morphisms i p with
( ) ( , )

cod i dom p is called a short exact sequence iff i is injective, p is surjective and
( ) = ( )

Im i p.
( ) = ker( )

X ⏪i⏫ Y ⏪p⏫ Z
◊

Observation
By the first isomorphism theorem, Y / ker( ) ≅p Im p .( )

Since p is surjective, we have Y Im i

/ ( ) ≅ Z. Since i is injective, Im i X. Now,
( ) ≅

Y p Im p
Y - Im i Z
dim( / ker( )) = dim( ( ))

Y- X Z
dim( ) dim( ( )) = dim( )

dim( ) dim( ) = dim( )

dim( Y X
) = dim( ) + dim( Z ).

Definition
The dimension vector of a representation V of a quiver Q is V Vi i Q Z Q .
dim ( ) = (dim( )) ∈
0

Usually, Q n , so that V Zn , justifying the name of "dimension vector".

∈ 0

0 = { 1,..., } dim ( ) ∈

More like "dimension tuple".

◊

Proposition
The dimension vector is additive on exact sequences:
if U ⏪⏫ V ⏪⏫ W is an exact sequence of representations of Q, then,
𝜄 𝜋
dim ( V ) = dim ( U ) + dim ( W. )

Proof
Component-wise, we have for every i Q : ∈ 0

Ui ⏪i⏫ Vi ⏪i⏫ Wi and we claim that this is an exact sequence of vector spaces.
𝜄 𝜋

We want to prove that ker(𝜋 ) =i Im (𝜄 )i.

We know that Im (𝜄) = ker(𝜋) , and
Im ( 𝜄) = ( Im i iQ,
(𝜄 )) ∈ ker(𝜋) = (ker(𝜋 )) i i Q , so
∈

Im i
0 0

(𝜄 ) = ker(𝜋 ) i
for all i Q . ∈ 0

That means that the sequence Ui ⏪i⏫ Vi ⏪i⏫ Wi is exact. 𝜄 𝜋

Now, because they are vector spaces, we had

dim( Vi ) = dim( Ui ) + dim( Wi , which holds for all vertices i.
)

Hence, dim ( V ) = dim ( U W.

) + dim ( )

Definition
Let Q be a quiver. From the equivalence relation "isomorphism of representations", we
consider the quotient class XQ . We write Z XQ to denote the free Abelian group with basis ⟨ ⟩

XQ .
In Z XQ , let EQ be the subgroup generated by the set
⟨ ⟩

V - U - W there is a short exact sequence U

[ ] [ ] [ ]: → V W
→

The Grothendieck group of RepK Q is defined as ( )

K Q Z XQ EQ 0( ) := ⟨ ⟩/

Therefore, by construction, if U V W is a short exact sequence in RepK Q , then,

→ → ( )

V U W.
[ ] = [ ]+[ ]

Proposition
Let Q be a quiver with vertex set Q n. = { 1,..., }

Then, there is a unique group homomorphism K Q Zn such that V V.

0

Φ: 0
( )→ Φ([ ]) = dim ( )

Proof.
If V and W are isomorphic representations, then Vi ≅ Wi are isomorphic vector spaces, hence,
they have the same dimension. Thus, V W [ ] = [ ] ⟹ dim ( V W.
) = dim ( )

Therefore, the mapping XQ Z n taking → [ V to

] dim ( V is well-defined. This extends to a
)

unique group homomorphism Z XQ Φ: ⟨ ⟩→ Zn.

Now, if U → V W is an exact sequence, we have
→ dim ( V U
) = dim ( ) + dim ( W , so
)

V - U - W
0 = Φ([ ]) Φ([ ]) Φ([ ]) = Φ([ V-U-W
] [ ] [ ])

Thus, since EQ
Φ( Zn , there is a unique group homomorphism
) = 0 Φ: Z XQ EQ Zn such
⟨ ⟩/ →

that Φ = Φ∘𝜋, in other words, the following diagram commutes:

Z XQ
Φ

⟨ ⟩ Zn
𝜋
Φ

Z XQ EQ
⟨ ⟩/

Definition/Proposition
Let A be a finite dimensional algebra and M ≠ 0 a finite dimensional A-module. Then, there
is a "finite filtration" M ␯␱␰ M ␯␱␰
0 =
(0)
𝜄1
(1)
𝜄2
... ␯␱␰ M k such that the quotients M i M i-
𝜄 k ( ) ( )
/
( 1)

are simple.

In particular, M i-( 1)
␯␱i␰ M i ⏪i⏫ M i M i-
𝜄
( )
𝜋
( )
/
( 1)
is short exact.
A filtration like that is called a "composition series" of M, and the quotients, counted with
multiplicity, are called the "composition factors".
Proof.
Claim 1. M admits a maximal proper submodule.
Recall that M is a finite dimensional vector space, so, any of its subspaces will also be finite
dimensional, in particular, all submodules are finite dimensional.
If M did not have a maximal proper submodule, then, for any proper submodule L M, ⊂

there is a submodule L such that L L M. This implies that

' ⊂ ' ⊂L L. dim( ) < dim( ')

However, we can apply this argument arbitrarily, which would contradict the condition of M
being finite dimensional.
Hence, M admits a maximal proper submodule L M. ⊂

Claim 1 is proven.

We continue with the argument.

Since L M is maximal, by the correspondence theorem, the submodules containing L
⊂

corresponds to the submodules of M L, and hence, M L is simple.

/ / ≠ 0

We can repeat the argument by replacing M with L and L with a maximal submodule of L.
This process will terminate, as the dimension of the maximal submodule strictly decreases.

Thus, we get the filtration 0 = M ␯␱␰ M ␯␰␱ M k-

(0)
𝜄1
(1)
...
( 1)
= L ␯␱k␰ M k M
𝜄
( )
=

𝜄i is just an inclusion!

We prove now that M i- ( 1)

␯␱i␰ M i ⏪i⏫ M i M i-
𝜄
( )
𝜋
( )
/
( 1)
is short exact.

Obviously, i is injective, i is surjective. We have Im i

𝜄 𝜋 (𝜄 ) = M i-
( 1)
since it is just the
inclusion, and i M i- , naturally.
ker(𝜋 ) =
( 1)

Theorem
Let Q be an acyclic quiver with Q n . Then, the group homomorphism
= { 1,..., }

K Q Z is an isomorphism and exhibits S i i Q K Q as a Z-basis of

n
0

Φ: 0( )→ {[ ( )] : ∈ 0} ⊆ 0( )
K Q.0( )

Proof.
We prove that {[ Si i Q
( )] : ∈ 0} is a basis by showing linear independence and spanning.

Claim 1. The set {[S i i Q is Z-linearly independent.

( )] : ∈ 0}

Notice that dim ( S i ei Zn , the i-th basis vector of the canonical basis.
( )) = ∈

∑
i
n
If ai S i [ ( )] = 0 , where ai ∈ Z, then we can apply Φ ∑
i
n
to get ai dim ( Si
( )) = ∑i n aiei ,
= 0

so ai for all i.
=1 =1 =1

= 0

Claim 2. The classes for simple representations generate K 0( Q , that is,

)

Si i Q K Q.
⟨{[ ( )] : ∈ 0 }⟩ = 0( )

Let M be finite dimensional. Then, there is a finite filtration

≠ 0

0 = M ␯␱␰ M ␯␰␱ ␯␰␱M k M.

(0)
𝜄1
(1)
...
( )
=

Since M i- ␯␱i
␰ M i ⏪i⏫ M i M i- is short exact for all i Q , we have that
( 1)
𝜄
( )
𝜋
( )
/
( 1)
∈ 0

Mi ( )
= M i- M i M i-
( 1)
+
( )
/
( 1)

M (1)
= M M M
(0)
+
(1)
/
(0)

M (2)
= M M M
(1)
+
(2)
/
(1)

M (3)
= M M M
(2)
+
(3)
/
(2)

...
Mk ( )
= M k- M k M k-
( 1)
+
( )
/
( 1)

Thus, we get that

[ M ] = M Mk ( )
=
(0)
+ M M (1)
/
(0)
+ M M
(2)
/
(1)
+ ... + M k M k-
( )
/
( 1)

and remember that M (0)

= 0 , so M (0)
= 0 , so
 [ M ] = ∑i M i
k
=1
( )
/ M i-
( 1)
∈ ⟨{[ Si i Q
( )] : ∈ 0
}⟩

because { Si i Q
( ): ∈ 0} is a complete set of representatives of the simple representations.

Theorem (Jordan-Hölder)
Let Q be an acyclic quiver with Q n . Let V be a representation. Then, V
0 = { 1,..., } ≠ 0

admits a composition series and its composition factors are given by the dimension vector
(counted with multiplicity).

The length of the series is ∑

i
n
dim( Vi ) and its composition factors are uniquely determined by
V.
=1

Proof.

Recall:
Let f G G be a group homomorphism, H a normal subgroup and f H
: → ' ( ) = 1 G . Then, there
is a unique map ⏨
f G H G such that the following diagram commutes:
'

: / → '

f
G G '

𝜋 ⏨f
G H /

In other words, f ⏨f . = ∘𝜋

Indeed, define ⏨
f G H G by g ⏨f g : / → ' [ ] ↦ ([ ]) = f g . We check that it is well defined:
( )

[g- g
1] = [ 2]

gg H 1
∈

f g g- f g f g- f g f g -
1 2

1 1 1
1 2
= ( 1) 2
= ( 1) ( 2) = 1

fg fg
( 1) = ( 2)
⏨f g
([ 1 ]) = ⏨f g
([ 2 ]).