In algebra, flat modules include free modules, projective modules, and, over a principal ideal domain, torsion-free modules. Formally, a module M over a ring R is flat if taking the tensor product over R with M preserves exact sequences. A module is faithfully flat if taking the tensor product with a sequence produces an exact sequence if and only if the original sequence is exact.
Flatness was introduced by Jean-Pierre Serre (1956) in his paper Géometrie Algébrique et Géométrie Analytique.