Associated graded module ($\mathrm{gr}M$)

For an increasing filtration of a module $M_n$ compatible with a filtered algebra $A$, set $\mathrm{gr}M={⨁}_n{M}_n/M_{n-1}$. Multiplication on the quotients makes it a graded module over $\mathrm{gr}A$. Its cumulative homogeneous dimensions equal $\dim M_n$ for a finite-dimensional exhaustive nonnegative filtration of a module.

Give $N$ the subspace filtration and $M/N$ the quotient filtration. If the degree-$i$ class of $m\in F_{i}M$ maps to zero, then $m=n+m^{\prime }$ with $n\in N$ and $m^{\prime }\in F_{i-1}M$. Thus $n\in N\cap F_{i}M$ and the class comes from $\mathrm{gr}N$. Inclusion is injective in every degree and the quotient map is surjective, proving the displayed short exact sequence of associated graded modules. Exactness can fail for arbitrarily chosen incompatible filtrations.