Forcing linearity numbers (Q1969123)

For a module over a ring \(R\) the authors introduce the concept of a forcing linearity number which is a type of measure of how much local linearity is needed to imply global linearity. The authors determine this number for vector spaces (in Section 3), for modules over integral domains, not fields (in Section 2), and for modules over local rings, not integral domains (in Section 4).