Let R be a ring with 1 ≠ 0 and α, β, γ R-endomorphisms of R-modules A, B, and C respectively. We shall denote by M(R) the category of R-modules, and by End(R) the category of R-endomorphisms. For objects α and β of End(R) a morphism λ: α → β is an R-homomorphism such that λα = β λ. We shall denote by Idm(R) the full subcategory of End(R) whose objects are idempotents. Idm(R) is an abelian category, ker, coker and im are constructed in the naive way and hence

is exact in M(R) if and only if

is exact in Idm(R), where the domains of α,β, and γ are A, B, and C respectively. One sees that End (R) as well as Idm(R) is abelian.