Groupoid graded rings and their categories of graded modules

Abstract

Let $G$ be a groupoid acting on a set $X$ and let $R$ be a $G$-graded ring with graded local units. We study the main properties of the category $gr-(R,G,X)$ of $X$-graded $R$-modules and adjoint functors between categories of this kind. We characterize the latter in terms of tensor-like and hom-like functors. As an application we obtain a characterization of equivalences between such categories in the spirit of Morita theory. Then we introduce restriction and induction functors between categories of type $gr-(R,G,X)$ and show that many functors between such categories can be realized naturally as a restriction or induction functor. This includes the forgetful functor, the functor associating a $G$ graded $R$-module with the $H$-graded module formed by the sum of the homogeneous components of degree in subgroupoid $H$, and the one associating it with the collapsing of homogeneous components in cosets modulo $H$ for $H$ a wide subgrupoid. We characterize when a restriction or induction functor is an equivalence of categories. Finally, we prove that $gr-(R,G,X)$ is always equivalent to the category of modules over a ring with local units and, generalizing a result of Menini and N\u{a}st\u{a}sescu, we characterize when $gr-(R,G,X)$ is equivalent to the category of modules over a unital ring.