Model-theoretic $K_1$ of free modules over PIDs

Motivated by Krajiček and Scanlon’s definition of the Grothendieck ring $K_0(M)$ of a first-order structure $M$, we introduce the definition of $K$-groups $K_n(M)$ for $n\ge 0$ via Quillen’s $S^{-1}S$ construction. We provide a recipe for the computation of $K_1(M_R)$, where $M_R$ is a free module over a PID $R$, subject to the knowledge of the abelianizations of the general linear groups $G{L}_n(R)$. As a consequence, we provide explicit computations of $K_1(M_R)$ when $R$ belongs to a large class of Euclidean domains that includes fields with at least $3$ elements and polynomial rings over fields with characteristic $0$. We also show that the algebraic $K_1$ of a PID $R$ embeds into $K_1(R_R)$.