We describe a method for solving linear systems over the localization of a commutative ring R at a multiplicatively closed subset S that works under the following hypotheses: the ring R is coherent, i.e., we can compute finite generating sets of row syzygies of matrices over R, and there is an algorithm that decides for any given finitely generated ideal I ⊆ R the existence of an element r in S ∩ I and in the affirmative case computes r as a concrete linear combination of the generators of I.2010 Mathematics Subject Classification. 13B30, 13P20.

We provide explicit constructions for various ingredients of right exact monoidal structures on the category of finitely presented functors. As our main tool, we prove a multilinear version of the universal property of so-called Freyd categories, which in turn is used in the proof of correctness of our constructions. Furthermore, we compare our construction with the Day convolution of arbitrary additive functors. Day convolution always yields a closed monoidal structure on the category of all additive functors. In contrast, right exact monoidal structures for finitely presented functor categories are not necessarily closed. We provide a necessary criterion for being closed that relies on the underlying category having weak kernels and a so-called finitely presented prointernal hom structure. Our results are stated in a constructive way and thus serve as a unified approach for the implementation of tensor products in various contexts.

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We discuss Peter Freyd’s universal way of equipping an additive category $$\mathbf {P}$$ P with cokernels from a constructive point of view. The so-called Freyd category $$\mathcal {A}(\mathbf {P})$$ A ( P ) is abelian if and only if $$\mathbf {P}$$ P has weak kernels. Moreover, $$\mathcal {A}(\mathbf {P})$$ A ( P ) has decidable equality for morphisms if and only if we have an algorithm for solving linear systems $$X \cdot \alpha = \beta $$ X · α = β for morphisms $$\alpha $$ α and $$\beta $$ β in $$\mathbf {P}$$ P . We give an example of an additive category with weak kernels and decidable equality for morphisms in which the question whether such a linear system admits a solution is computationally undecidable. Furthermore, we discuss an additional computational structure for $$\mathbf {P}$$ P that helps solving linear systems in $$\mathbf {P}$$ P and even in the iterated Freyd category construction $$\mathcal {A}( \mathcal {A}(\mathbf {P})^{\mathrm {op}} )$$ A ( A ( P ) op ) , which can be identified with the category of finitely presented covariant functors on $$\mathcal {A}(\mathbf {P})$$ A ( P ) . The upshot of this paper is a constructive approach to finitely presented functors that subsumes and enhances the standard approach to finitely presented modules in computer algebra.

We give an introduction to constructive category theory by answering two guiding computational questions. The first question is: how do we compute the set of all natural transformations between two finitely presented functors like Ext and Tor over a commutative coherent ring R? We give an answer by introducing category constructors that enable us to build up a category which is both suited for performing explicit calculations and equivalent to the category of all finitely presented functors. The second question is: how do we determine the differentials on the pages of a spectral sequence associated to a filtered cochain complex only in terms of operations directly provided by the axioms of an abelian category? Its answer relies on a constructive method for performing diagram chases based on a calculus of relations within an arbitrary abelian category.