Lattices over Bass rings and graph agglomerations

Abstract: We study direct-sum decompositions of torsion-free, finitely generated modules over a (commutative) Bass ring $R$ through the factorization theory of the corresponding monoid $T(R)$. Results of Levy-Wiegand and Levy-Odenthal together with a study of the local case yield an explicit description of $T(R)$. The monoid is typically neither factorial nor cancellative. Nevertheless, we construct a transfer homomorphism to a monoid of graph agglomerations--a natural class of monoids serving as combinatorial models for the factorization theory of $T(R)$. As a consequence, the monoid $T(R)$ is transfer Krull of finite type and several finiteness results on arithmetical invariants apply. We also establish results on the elasticity of $T(R)$ and characterize when $T(R)$ is half-factorial. (Factoriality, that is, torsion-free Krull-Remak-Schmidt-Azumaya, is characterized by a theorem of Levy-Odenthal.) The monoids of graph agglomerations introduced here are also of independent interest.