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An acyclic quiver has no oriented cycle. For a finite quiver, this is equivalent to finite-dimensionality of its path algebra: paths have bounded length without cycles, while powers of a cycle are infinitely many distinct basis elements.

Let $A$ be a finite-dimensional basic algebra over an algebraically closed field and a hereditary ring. The radicals of its indecomposable projectives are projective and satisfy $J{P}_i\cong {⨁}_j{P}_j^{a_{ij}}$, where $a_{ij}$ are the Ext quiver arrow multiplicities. Hence $\dim P_i=1+{\sum }_j{a}_{ij}\dim P_j$, forcing strict dimension decrease along arrows and therefore acyclicity. Lifting an arrow basis in $J/J^2$ gives a surjective path algebra homomorphism $kQ\to A$. The number of paths starting at $i$ satisfies the same dimension recursion. Equality of total dimensions proves the homomorphism is an isomorphism. Sums of vertex idempotents over connected components are precisely the primitive central idempotents, so components give the blocks.

Use a finite tree with cyclically ordered incident edges at each vertex, and multiplicities one except possibly at one vertex. Quiver vertices are tree edges; arrows follow each cyclic successor order, including loops at vertices of valency one. For an edge $i$ with endpoints $v,w$, write $C_{i,v}$ for the cycle around $v$. Impose $C_{i,v}^{m_v}=C_{i,w}^{m_w}$, $C_{i,v}^{m_v}{\alpha }_{i,v}=0$, and zero for any path that switches from one vertex-cycle to the other. The quotient of this path algebra is the basic Brauer tree algebra; redundant valency-one loops can be eliminated. Its indecomposable projective at $i$ has simple top and socle labelled by $i$, with two uniserial radical branches of lengths $m_v\mathrm{val}(v)$ and $m_w\mathrm{val}(w)$ meeting in that socle.

For a finite-dimensional associative algebra over an algebraically closed field, the Ext quiver has a vertex for each simple module isomorphism class and $a_{ij}$ arrows $i\to j$. For a basic algebra with $P_i=A{e}_i$, applying ${\mathrm{Hom}}_A(-,S_j)$ to the projective-cover sequence gives $a_{ij}=\dim e_j(J/J^2)e_i$. Our path algebra convention multiplies consecutive arrows $\alpha :i\to j$, $\beta :j\to l$ as $\beta \alpha$, making left modules have arrow maps $V_i\to V_j$. The orientation convention must be stated when comparing other definitions.

The free associative algebra has a basis of finite words in its generators, including the empty word as identity. Multiplication concatenates words without commutativity relations. It is the path algebra of the quiver with r loops. With one generator it is a polynomial algebra.

A ring is left hereditary if every submodule of a left projective module is projective. Equivalently, every left module has a projective resolution of length at most one. The standard projective resolution of a quiver representation, used also for arbitrary infinite-dimensional modules, proves that path algebras are left hereditary.

Distinct idempotents are orthogonal when their products in both orders vanish. A finite family summing to one gives a decomposition $M={⨁}_i{e}_{i}M$ of every left module as a vector space; the summands need not be submodules unless the idempotents are central. Vertex idempotents of a path algebra supply the spaces of its quiver representation.

Choose a maximal Brauer pair $(D,b_D)$ for $B$. Define its inertial quotient of a block and inertial index of a block byConjugacy of maximal pairs makes the index well-defined. The standard maximal-pair property used here is that $E(B)$ is a $p^{\prime }$-group. Since $D$ is cyclic, its faithful conjugation action embeds it into $\mathrm{Aut}(D)$, so $e\mid p-1$. Write $d=p^n$ and $m=(d-1)/e$.

We use two precise structural results. Over an algebraically closed field, the basic algebra of a block with cyclic defect group is a Brauer tree algebra with $e$ edges and exceptional multiplicity $m$. For a Brauer tree algebra with $t$ edges and exceptional multiplicity $m$, all nonprojective indecomposable modules form the stable Auslander–Reiten quiverThese are the cyclic-defect structure theorem and the stable-quiver classification for tree algebras; we are not taking the requested numerical count as an assumption. Morita equivalence preserves simple, projective and indecomposable isomorphism classes.

There is one simple module per edge, so $l(B)=e$. The vertices of $\mathbb{Z}{A}_s$ can be indexed by $(j,i)$, $j\in \mathbb{Z}$, $1\le i\le s$. The quotient by ${\tau }^e$ leaves $e$ choices of $j$ for each $i$. With $s=em=d-1$, there are $e(d-1)$ nonprojective indecomposable modules. There are also $e$ indecomposable projective modules, one projective cover per simple. ThereforeThis counts isomorphism classes, not multiplicities in the regular module. In the one-edge case it agrees with the $d$ Jordan chains for $k[t]/(t^d)$.

For the definition, take a finite connected tree with a cyclic order of the incident edges at every vertex and positive integer multiplicities equal to one except possibly at a distinguished vertex. Its Brauer tree path presentation has a quiver vertex for each tree edge, and successor arrows around each tree vertex, including loops for valency one. If edge $i$ has endpoints $v,w$, let $C_{i,v}$ and $C_{i,w}$ be the cycles around these endpoints. The relations identifykill $C_{i,v}^{m_v}{\alpha }_{i,v}$, and kill paths switching between successor cycles belonging to different tree vertices. Redundant valency-one loops may be eliminated. This quotient of the path algebra is the basic Brauer tree algebra; allowing an arbitrary algebra with Morita equivalence to it does not change the module assertions. In particular, the cyclic orders and multiplicity, not merely the underlying graph, are part of the data.

For the construction, use right modules with paths multiplied left to right; equivalently use the opposite quiver for left modules, choosing orientation so radical factors follow the specified order. The indecomposable projective $P_1$ with top $S_1$ has simple socle $S_1$ and two uniserial radical branches $U_v,U_w$ meeting in that socle. The relations show that $U_v$ has length $mr$ and factors $S_2,\dots ,S_r,S_1$ repeated $m$ times. The other branch has length $m_w\mathrm{val}(w)$. Thus $W_v=P_1/U_w$ is a uniserial module of length $mr$, with factors $S_1,S_2,\dots ,S_r$ cyclically repeated. For $J$ the Jacobson radical,is the desired uniserial branch of a Brauer tree algebra. If an endpoint is a nonexceptional leaf, its branch is just the socle; the formula still applies.

For uniqueness, length one gives just $S_1$. If $q>1$ and $r>1$, the next factor $S_2$ chooses the successor arrow at $v$ uniquely, because two distinct edges cannot meet at both endpoints in a tree. Subsequent factors force the same cyclic succession. Any arrow into an edge not incident with $v$ acts as zero, because that simple does not occur. An opposite nonexceptional leaf loop is the full socle path around $v$, of length $mr$, hence zero on modules of length at most $mr$. If an opposite leaf is exceptional, then $v$ has multiplicity one and each incident simple occurs at most once; its nilpotent self-loop is zero on that one-dimensional vertex space as well.

The remaining action is one nilpotent successor chain. Choose a top generator $z_0$ and let $z_j$ be its successive path images for $0\le j<q$. Uniseriality makes each image nonzero in its respective radical layer; these images form a basis in the basic algebra description. Their labels are $S_{1+(j\mathrm{mod}r)}$, the successor arrow sends $z_j$ to $z_{j+1}$, and all other actions vanish. Any nonzero scalar choices are absorbed by rescaling this basis. This determines the module solely by its top and length.

If $r=1$ and $q>1$, then $m>1$ and $v$ is the exceptional leaf. The successor is a single loop and its action is the unique nilpotent Jordan chain of length $q$. The other branch either enters a different edge or is a redundant socle loop and contributes nothing. Hence the prescribed uniserial module is unique up to isomorphism for every positive integer $q\le mr$.

An idempotent $e$ gives a projective module $Ae$, since $A=Ae\oplus A(1-e)$. It is primitive when it cannot be written as a sum of two nonzero orthogonal idempotents. This is equivalent to indecomposability of $Ae$: a projection onto a direct summand is an idempotent of ${\mathrm{End}}_A(Ae)\cong (eAe{)}^{\mathrm{op}}$, and conversely such an idempotent splits $Ae$. Starting with $1$, split any nonprimitive summand repeatedly. The process terminates because each splitting increases the number of nonzero vector-space summands in a finite-dimensional algebra. Thuswith orthogonal primitive idempotents and indecomposable projective modules. Each summand is generated by its idempotent.

Let $D={\mathrm{Hom}}_k(-,k)$. A Frobenius algebra is a finite-dimensional algebra with $A\cong D(A)$ as left modules over $A$, where $(a\varphi )(x)=\varphi (xa)$. Equivalently there is a linear functional $\lambda :A\to k$ for which $(x,y)\mapsto \lambda (xy)$ is nondegenerate. A symmetric algebra satisfies the stronger bimodule isomorphism $A\cong D(A)$, with $(a\varphi b)(x)=\varphi (bxa)$; equivalently the functional can be chosen with $\lambda (xy)=\lambda (yx)$. This is the associative-algebra meaning of symmetric, rather than the symmetric algebra of a vector space.

For a finite-dimensional module,The socle is its largest semisimple submodule, and the radical of a module gives its largest semisimple quotient. With $J=J(A)$ one has $\mathrm{Rad}M=JM$ and $\mathrm{Soc}M=\{m:Jm=0\}$: $A/J$ is semisimple, and $J$ annihilates every simple module.

Now let $P=Ae$ for a primitive idempotent, allowing the field $k$ to be nonsplit. Symmetry identifies $Ae$ with $D(eA)$ through the pairingIt is nondegenerate on these corners. If $v=ve\ne 0$, choose $a$ with $\lambda (av)\ne 0$; then $\lambda (eav)=\lambda (ave)=\lambda (av)\ne 0$. The other variable is treated similarly. The pairing respects the left $A$-action, soThe right-module quotient $eA/eAJ$ is simple. A primitive idempotent remains primitive modulo the nilpotent radical: idempotents lift through that radical, so a decomposition in the quotient would lift to one in $eAe$. In the semisimple algebra $A/J$, the left simple $Ae/JAe$ and the dual of the right simple $eA/eAJ$ belong to the same matrix block. There is exactly one left simple isomorphism class in that block, even over a nonalgebraically closed field. Hence the head-socle identity for a symmetric algebra isThis is an isomorphism of left modules, and need not be canonical.

For the modular examples put $r=(123)$, $s=(12)$, so $r^3=s^2=1$ and $srs=r^{-1}$. The coefficient-of-identity functional on the group algebra is symmetric and nondegenerate, so the identity just proved applies.

In characteristic two, the central idempotents are $b_0=1+r+r^2$ and $b_1=1-b_0$. The first block has basis $b_0,b_{0}s$ and is $k{C}_2\cong k[u]/(u^2)$. For the second, choose a primitive cube root $\omega$ and useThe two $r$-eigenlines are interchanged by $s$, proving irreducibility. Polynomial interpolation in $r$ gives diagonal matrix units, and multiplying by $s$ gives the off-diagonal units. Thus the four-dimensional block maps onto $M_2(k)$ and is isomorphic to it:There are two simple modules, the trivial one-dimensional module $T$ and the two-dimensional module $V$; the sign module equals $T$. Their projective covers are $P_T=k[u]/(u^2)$, with layers $T,T$, and $P_V=V$. The regular module is $P_T\oplus V^{\oplus 2}$, and the Cartan matrix of a group algebra is $\mathrm{diag}(2,1)$. Every module is a sum of $T,P_T,V$: the first block is classified by Jordan chains for a nilpotent linear map of lengths one and two, while the matrix block is semisimple. Thus there are exactly three indecomposable isomorphism classes. This describes the 2-modular blocks of S3.

In characteristic three put $u=r-1$. The ideal $I=uA$ satisfies $I^3=0$, and $A/I\cong k{C}_2\cong k\oplus k$, so $J(A)=I$. The only simples are the trivial and sign modules $S_{+},S_{-}$. Put $e_{\pm }=(1\pm s)/2$. The projectives $P_{\pm }=A{e}_{\pm }$ have dimension three. A convenient radical generator is $v=r-r^{-1}$:The basis $e_{\pm },v{e}_{\pm },v^2{e}_{\pm }$ gives the radical layersThus $A=P_{+}\oplus P_{-}$ and its Cartan matrix of a group algebra isThe elements $e_{-}v{e}_{+}$ and $e_{+}v{e}_{-}$ give one arrow in each direction between the two simples. All paths of length three vanish, and the six paths of lengths zero, one and two are linearly independent. Hence $A$ is the path algebra of that two-vertex oriented cycle modulo the ideal of paths of length three. Its connected quiver also proves there is a single block of S3 in characteristic three.

Any module is a $\mathbb{Z}/2$-graded vector space given by the $s$-eigenspaces, with $v$ interchanging the grades and $v^3=0$. Constructing Jordan chains with homogeneous bases in the kernel and image filtrations and homogeneous lifts decomposes it into graded chains. Each chain has length $1,2$ or $3$ and is determined by its top sign. It is a uniserial module and hence indecomposable. Consequently there are exactly six indecomposables, the length-$\ell$ quotients $P_{\pm }/J^{\ell }{P}_{\pm }$, $\ell =1,2,3$.

For a finite-dimensional algebra over an algebraically closed field, basic algebra means $A/J(A)\cong k^n$, so its simple modules are one-dimensional and occur once in the semisimple quotient of the regular module. A hereditary ring has every submodule of a projective module projective; equivalently its global dimension is at most one.

Choose representatives $S_1,\dots ,S_n$ of the simple modules. Our Ext quiver convention gives one vertex $i$ for $S_i$ andWith primitive orthogonal idempotents $e_i$, put $P_i=A{e}_i$ and $J=J(A)$. Applying ${\mathrm{Hom}}_A(-,S_j)$ to $0\to J{P}_i\to P_i\to S_i\to 0$ givesThe restriction map from $\mathrm{Hom}(P_i,S_j)$ is zero since every map to a simple kills $J{P}_i$, and $P_i$ is projective. Thus the arrow multiplicity is $\dim e_j(J/J^2)e_i$. This specifies the orientation rather than silently replacing the quiver by its opposite.

Because $A$ is hereditary, $J{P}_i$ is projective. Its semisimple top has $a_{ij}$ copies of $S_j$, where $a_{ij}$ is the arrow multiplicity. Its projective cover therefore supplies an epimorphismThis splits by projectivity of $J{P}_i$. Its kernel is a summand contained in the radical of the source; projection onto that summand and Nakayama lemma force the kernel to be zero. HenceEvery arrow $i\to j$ forces $\dim P_i>\dim P_j$, so $Q$ has no directed cycles.

Choose lifts in $e_{j}J{e}_i$ of bases of the arrow spaces. Send the vertices and arrows of the path algebra to these idempotents and lifts, multiplying paths in the order $\beta \alpha$ for consecutive arrows $\alpha :i\to j$, $\beta :j\to l$. This defines an algebra homomorphism $kQ\to A$. It is surjective: vertices span $A/J$, arrows span $J/J^2$, and products show that paths of length $r$ span $J^r/J^{r+1}$. Nilpotence of $J$ then gives all of $A$.

Let $N_i$ be the number of directed paths starting at $i$, including the length-zero path. Acyclicity gives the same recursion $N_i=1+{\sum }_j{a}_{ij}{N}_j$, with value one at a sink. Induction from sinks gives $N_i=\dim P_i$. ThereforeThe surjective homomorphism is an isomorphism. This proves the basic hereditary algebra path-algebra theorem:

For each connected component $C$ of the underlying unoriented graph, $e_C={\sum }_{i\in C}{e}_i$ is a central idempotent. Paths never connect distinct components, so $kQ={⨁}_C{e}_{C}kQ$ as a direct sum of two-sided ideals. To prove each is a block, let $z$ be any central idempotent. Modulo the arrow ideal it has coordinates $c_i\in \{0,1\}$. Commuting $z$ with an arrow $i\to j$ and reducing modulo the square of that ideal gives $c_i=c_j$. Thus these coordinates are constant on each component. If they are zero on a component, the restriction of $z$ there is a nilpotent idempotent, hence zero; if they are one, apply that argument to $1-z$. Consequently

Take the Kronecker quiver, with two arrows $\alpha ,\beta :1\to 2$. There are no paths of length two, so its path algebra has basis $e_1,e_2,\alpha ,\beta$ and dimension four.

For each $\lambda \in k$, take a quiver representation with one-dimensional spaces at both vertices and arrow maps $(1,\lambda )$. An endomorphism consists of scalars $a,b$ with $b=a$ from the first arrow; the second imposes no further condition. Its endomorphism ring is therefore $k$, which has no nontrivial idempotent. Thus the representation is indecomposable. An isomorphism to the representation $(1,\mu )$ again requires $b=a\ne 0$, and the second arrow then gives $\lambda =\mu$. Because an algebraically closed field is infinite, this gives infinitely many pairwise nonisomorphic indecomposables. Hence

Take the quiver with one loop. Its path algebra has basis $1,a,a^2,\dots$ and multiplication $a^r{a}^s=a^{r+s}$, so it is the polynomial ring $k[a]$. HenceThe algebra generators need not form a spanning vector-space set: products produce the infinitely many independent paths.

Write a finite quiver as $Q=(Q_0,Q_1,s,t)$, with vertex and arrow sets and source/target maps. A representation of a quiver assigns a vector space $X_i$ to each vertex and a linear map $f_{\rho }:X_{s(\rho )}\to X_{t(\rho )}$ to each arrow. A quiver representation morphism $h:X\to Y$ is a family satisfying $h_{t(\rho )}{f}_{\rho }=g_{\rho }{h}_{s(\rho )}$.

The path algebra $A=kQ$ has every directed path, including each length-zero path $e_i$, as a basis. Multiplication is composition when endpoints match, and zero otherwise; in $pq$, the path $q$ is traversed first. The orthogonal idempotents satisfy $1={\sum }_i{e}_i$.

The path-algebra module equivalence is explicit. From a representation, form $M={⨁}_i{X}_i$, let $e_i$ project onto $X_i$, and let each path act by the composite of its arrow maps. Conversely, an $A$-module gives $X_i=e_{i}M$ and $f_{\rho }(x)=\rho x$. An $A$-module homomorphism restricts to the required vertex maps, and a compatible family extends by direct sum. These constructions are mutually inverse up to their evident natural identifications.

$kQ$ is finite-dimensional exactly when $Q$ is finite and has no oriented cycle. For a finite acyclic quiver, paths have length at most $|Q_0|-1$. An oriented cycle has arbitrarily many distinct powers, giving infinitely many basis paths. If arbitrary infinite quivers are allowed, finiteness of both vertices and arrows is also necessary; the unital module correspondence above uses finite $Q_0$.

Choose only the orientation $1\to 2\to 3$. The interval representations of an equioriented three-vertex quiver $I[a,b]$ have $k$ at vertices $a,\dots ,b$, zero elsewhere, and identity arrows within that interval. The complete list isHere is an elementary proof, without the Gabriel theorem. For $X_1\stackrel{f}{\to }{X}_2\stackrel{g}{\to }{X}_3$, set $K=\mathrm{im}f\cap \ker g$. Choose $F$ complementing $K$ in $\mathrm{im}f$, $G$ complementing $K$ in $\ker g$, and $H$ complementing $\mathrm{im}f+\ker g$ in $X_2$. Then $X_2=K\oplus F\oplus G\oplus H$, and $g$ is injective on $F\oplus H$. Lift bases of $K,F$ to a complement of $\ker f$ in $X_1$, and extend the bases of $gF,gH$ to $X_3$. These bases split $X$ into precisely the six kinds of interval block. Every block has endomorphism ring $k$, hence is indecomposable, and their different supports make them pairwise nonisomorphic. The same basis argument handles arbitrary vertex dimensions; each indecomposable block itself is finite-dimensional.

Use the following Jacobson radical facts for a unital algebra: a nilpotent ideal is contained in the Jacobson radical; under a surjective algebra homomorphism the image of the Jacobson radical is contained in the radical of the quotient; and a finite product of fields has zero Jacobson radical. For completeness, if $I^N=0$ and $x\in I$, then $ax\in I$ for every $a\in A$, and $1-ax$ is invertible with inverse ${\sum }_{j=0}^{N-1}(ax{)}^j$. The usual unit criterion for the Jacobson radical therefore gives $I\subseteq J(A)$. The quotient assumption gives $J(A)\subseteq I$. HenceThis is the nilpotent ideal with semisimple quotient radical criterion.

For the finite quiver under consideration, let $R$ be the arrow ideal of a path algebra, spanned by paths of positive length. If $Q$ has $r$ vertices and no oriented cycle, a path cannot repeat a vertex, so $R^r=0$. Meanwhile $kQ/R\cong {\prod }_{i\in Q_0}k$, with the constant paths giving the coordinate idempotents. The criterion just proved yields $J(kQ)=R$.

The condition on cycles is necessary. A quiver with one loop has path algebra $k[t]$, whose arrow ideal is $(t)$. But $J(k[t])=0\ne (t)$: the maximal ideals $(t-a)$, $a\in k$, have intersection zero, since the algebraically closed field $k$ is infinite and a nonzero polynomial has only finitely many roots. Thus the arrow ideal need not be the Jacobson radical when oriented cycles are present.

The path algebra $kQ$ is the $k$-vector space with basis all directed paths, including the length-zero path $e_i$ at each vertex. Extend path composition bilinearly, declaring the product zero when the paths cannot be composed. We use the left-module convention: $pq$ means first traverse $q$, then $p$; for an arrow $\rho :i\to j$, $e_j\rho e_i=\rho$.

The constant paths are mutually orthogonal idempotents. For any path $p:i\to j$,Consequently, for the finite vertex set used here,It acts as an identity on every basis path, hence on the entire path algebra. Finiteness of the vertex set is what makes this a genuine element of the algebra; an infinite-vertex path algebra instead has finite vertex sums as local units.

Number the source vertices $1,\dots ,r$ and the sink $c=r+1$, and write $a_i:i\to c$ for the arrows. The only basis paths are $e_1,\dots ,e_r,e_c,a_1,\dots ,a_r$. Using standard matrix units, defineThe relations $e_c{a}_i=a_i=a_i{e}_i$, orthogonality of the vertex idempotents, and $a_i{a}_j=0$ agree exactly with multiplication of these matrix units. The map is therefore an algebra homomorphism, and its images form a basis of the algebraThis is an explicit isomorphism of the path algebra of the subspace quiver with a $(2r+1)$-dimensional triangular matrix algebra.

No. Let $Q$ be the quiver $1\to 2$ over a field $k$, and take the representation of a quiverAn endomorphism is a pair of scalar maps $(a,b)$ satisfying $b=a$, so its endomorphism ring is $k$. Every nonzero endomorphism is therefore an isomorphism, making this representation a brick module. It nevertheless has the proper nonzero subrepresentation $0\to k$, so it is not an irreducible module.

Equivalently, this is a nonsimple module over the path algebra $kQ$ whose endomorphism ring is a division ring.

The standard projective resolution of a quiver representation has length one, even for quivers with oriented cycles. Thus every path algebra is a hereditary ring, and higher extension groups vanish. Applying a long exact sequence of Ext groups to $0\to I\to K\to C\to 0$ gives a surjection ${\mathrm{Ext}}^1(K,W)\twoheadrightarrow {\mathrm{Ext}}^1(I,W)$, since the next term ${\mathrm{Ext}}^2(C,W)$ is zero. This is the hereditary step in the Ringel lemma on bricks.

Its path algebra is $k[t]$. Finite-dimensional representations are vector spaces with a single endomorphism. Thus oriented cycles can give an infinite-dimensional algebra even when the representations studied are finite-dimensional.