8 Rings and Fields

P. 8.1. Which of the following universal algebras are rings, commutative rings, unital rings, rings without
zero divisors, fields?
a) (Z, +, ·), (2Z, +, ·);
b) (Q, +, ·), (R, +, ·), (C, +, ·);
c) (Zn ,√+, ·); √
d) (Q( 2) = {a + b 2| a, b ∈ Q}, +, ·);
e) (Z[i] = {a + b i| a, b ∈ Z}, +, ·);
f) (Mn (Z), +, ·);
g) (P(M ), ∆, ∩);
h) (Z × Z, ⊕, ), where (a, b) ⊕ (c, d) := (a + c, b + d), (a, b)  (c, d) := (ac + bd, ad + bc).
P. 8.2. Let (G, +) be an abelian group and End(G) = {f : G −→ G| f −endomorphism of the group G}.
We define an addition on End(G) by af +g := af +ag , (∀)a ∈ G, f, g ∈ End(G). Show that (End(G), +, ◦)
is an unital ring.

P. 8.3. Let    
a b
C= A ∈ M2 (R)| A = , a, b ∈ R .
−b a
Show that (C, +, ·) is a field isomorphic to (C, +, ·).

P. 8.4. Let    
z w
H1 = A ∈ M2 (C)| A = , z, w ∈ C .
−w z
Show that (H1 , +, ·) is a noncommutative division ring.
P. 8.5. Let    

 a b c d 

  −b a −d c 

H2 = A ∈ M4 (R)| A = 
  , a, b, c, d ∈ R .

 −c d a −b  

−d −c b a
 

a) For A ∈ H2 , compute det(A).

b) Show that H2 ≤ M2 (R) and that (H2 , +, ·) is a noncommutative division ring.
c) Show that H2 ∼= H1 .
P. 8.6. Let (R, +, ·) be a ring and a ∈ R an element such that there is an element b ∈ R \ {0}, such that
aba = 0. Show that a ∈ D(R).
P. 8.7. Let (R, +, ·) be a ring without a unit element and S ≤ R, such that S has a unit element. Show
that D(R) 6= {0}.
P. 8.8. Let (R, +, ·) be a ring in which there is a unique left unit 1l . Show that the ring R is unital.

P. 8.9. Let (R, +, ·) be a finite ring in which there are elements a ∈ R \ Dl (R) and b ∈ R \ Dr (R). Show
that the ring R is unital.
P. 8.10. Let (R, +, ·) be a finite ring in which there is an element a ∈ R \ D(R). Show that
a) R is unital;
b) R = U (R) ∪ D(R).

P. 8.11. Let (R, +, ·) be a finite nonzero ring without zero divisors. Show that R is a division ring.

P. 8.12. U (Zn ) = {k̂ ∈ Zn | (k, n) = 1}.

1
P. 8.13. Let (R, +, ·) be an unital ring and a ∈ R such that there is a left inverse b ∈ R of the element
a which is not also a right inverse.
a) Show that a is not right invertible.
b) If La ⊆ A is the set of all left inverses of the element a, show that the function

ϕ : La −→ La : t 7−→ at + b − 1

is injective, but nonsurjective.

c) Deduce that the set La is infinite.
P. 8.14. Let (R, +, ·) be a finite unital ring. Show that an element of R is left invertible if and only if it
is right invertible.
P. 8.15. Let (R, +, ·) be an unital ring, and a, b ∈ R, such that 1 − ab ∈ U (R). Show that 1 − ba ∈ U (R).

P. 8.16. Let (R, +, ·) be an unital ring, and e ∈ I(R) an idempotent element. Show that 1 − e ∈ I(R).
P. 8.17. Let (R, +, ·) be a ring, and e, f ∈ I(R) two orthogonal idempotent elements(i.e., such that
ef = f e = 0). Show that e + f ∈ I(R).
P. 8.18. Let n ∈ Z, with n = pα αr r
1 . . . pr . Show that |I(Zn )| = 2 .
1

P. 8.19. Let (R, +, ·) be a ring such that x2 = x, (∀)x ∈ R. Show that R is commutative.
P. 8.20. Let (R, +, ·) be a ring such that x6 = x, (∀)x ∈ R. Show that R is commutative.
P. 8.21. Let (R, +, ·) be a ring such that x2 − x ∈ Z(R), (∀)x ∈ R. Show that R is commutative.
P. 8.22. Let (R, +, ·) be a unital ring such that (x + y)2 = x2 + y 2 , (∀)x, y ∈ R. Show that R is
commutative.
P. 8.23. Let n ∈ Z, with n = pα αr
1 . . . pr . Determine N (Zn ).
1

P. 8.24. Let (R, +, ·) be a commutative ring. Show that N (R) E R.

P. 8.25. Let (R, +, ·) be an unital ring and x ∈ N (R). Show that 1 − x, 1 + x ∈ U (R).

P. 8.26. Let (R, +, ·) be an unital commutative ring, u ∈ U (R) and x ∈ N (R). Show that u + x ∈ U (R).
P. 8.27. Let (R, +, ·) be a commutative ring without nilpotent elements(i.e., N (R) = 0). If x, y ∈ R are
elements such that x2 = y 2 and x3 = y 3 , show that x = y.
P. 8.28. Let (R, +, ·) be a ring. Show that

N (R) = 0 ⇐⇒ [(∀)x ∈ R : x2 = 0 ⇐⇒ x = 0] .

P. 8.29. Let (R, +, ·) be a ring with (N (R) = 0. Show that

a) (∀)a, b ∈ R : ab = 0 ⇐⇒ ba = 0.
b) I(R) ⊆ Z(R).

P. 8.30. Let (R, +, ·) be a ring such that x4 = x, (∀)x ∈ R. Show that R is commutative.
P. 8.31. Let (R, +, ·) be a ring such that x3 = x, (∀)x ∈ R. Show that R is commutative.