Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Ian Coley
January 29, 2014
Problem 1.
Let R = Z[X]. Show that the sequence of R-module homomorphisms
f h
0RRZ0
where f (g) = X g and h(g) = g(0) is exact. Does it split? Does it split as a sequence of
abelian groups? (We view Z as an R-module via X 1 = 0.)
Solution.
Let g R[X], and write g = ni=0 ai X i . Then f (g) = ni=0 ai X i+1 , so it has no constant
P P
term. Hence h(f (g)) = 0, so im f Pker h. Now, it is also evident that every polynomial
which satisfies g(0) = 0 is precisely Pni=0 ai 0i = a0 = 0 (where we use 00 = 1 to simplify
notation). Therefore if g ker h, g = ni=1 ai X i . Therefore we have
n1
! n1 n
X X X
f ai+1 X i = X ai+1 X i = ai X i = g,
i=0 i=0 i=1
so ker f im h. Hence ker f = im h so the sequence is exact at the middle term. Further, f
is injective since Z[X] is a domain, so left multiplication by any element is injective. Finally,
h is surjective since the constant polynomials g = a have g(0) = a for every a Z. Therefore
the sequence is exact.
The sequence is split over R. The requisite map q : Z R so that h q = 1Z . It is clear
that q(a) = f (ga ) + a for some ga R, since h(q(a)) = a implies that q(a) has constant term
a. Since we require
we see that deg ga = 0 for every a Z so that deg q(a)q(b) = deg q(a). Therefore we have
q(a) = a, the constant polynomial. However X q(a) = aX 6= 0 = q(X a), so this sequence
cannot be split.
Additionally, the sequence is split as abelian groups, i.e. as Z-modules. Since Z is a free
Z-module, it is projective, so there exists a splitting q : Z R. Therefore the sequence is
split.
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Problem 2.
(a) Let I be an ideal of a ring R. Show that for every left R-module M , the factor group
M/IM has a natural structure of a left R/I-module (here IM is the subgroup in M
generated by xm for all x I and m M ). Show that if M is a free R-module, then
M/IM is a free R/I-module.
(b) Show that if the free modules Rn and Rm over a nonzero commutative ring R are
isomorphic, then n = m.
Solution.
(a) We see the action of R/I on M/IM by
(r + I) (m + IM ) = rm + IM.
The distributive laws hold since they do for M as an R-module. To see this is well
defined, suppose r + I = r0 + I, and r = r0 + i. Then
(r + I) (m + IM ) = (r + I) (m0 + in + IM )
= rm0 + rin + IM = rm0 + IM = (r + I) (m0 + IM )
mRn = {m(r1 , . . . , rn ) : m m, ri R} = mn
simply by taking the generators (0, . . . , 1, . . . , 0). We similarly have mRm = mm . Then
we claim that
: Rn /mn (R/m)n via (r1 , . . . , rn ) + mn 7 (r1 + m, . . . , rn + m).
(r1 , . . . , rn ) + mn 1 (r1 + m, . . . , rn + m)
Rn
= Rm = Rn /mn
= Rm
= mm F n = (R/m)n
= (R/m)m = F m .
Since F n , F m are vector spaces, in particular they are free R modules, and are isomor-
phic if and only if their bases have the same cardinality, i.e. n = m. This completes
the proof.
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Problem 3.
Prove that if every module over a domain R is free, then R is a field.
Solution.
Suppose that I R is a nonzero, proper ideal. Then R/I is a nontrivial R-module, which
by assumption is free. Then I annihilates R/I, which would make R/I a torsion module,
which is a contradiction since R is a domain. Therefore R has no nonzero, proper ideals, so
R is a field.
Problem 4.
(a) Show that a direct sum of projective modules is projective.
Solution.
(a) Recall that one characterisation of projective modules is the diagram
P
h g
M N 0
f
`
Then let P = P be a direct sum of projective modules. Then for each g : P N ,
there exists h making the
` above diagram
Q commute. Then supposeQwe have a map
g : P N . Since Hom(
P , N ) = Hom(P , N ), we have g = g . Therefore
Q
there is a unique h = h making the diagram commute. Therefore P is a projective
module.
f
0 X Y
g
h
Q
Q . We use Hom(X, Q )
Q Q Q
to commute. Suppose that Q = = Hom(X, Q ).
Given injective modules Q and maps g : X Q
Q , there are unique lefts h : Y
QQ .
Therefore since a map g : X Q, we have g = g , so there is a unique lift h = h ,
so Q is an injective module.
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Problem 5.
Show that Q is not a projective Z-module.
Solution.
If Q were a projective Z-module, it would be a direct summand of a free Z-module F . Then
we have the projection map p : F Q and an inclusion map i : Q F such that p i = 1Q .
Then n
X
i(1) = aj ej
j=1
which implies that N | aj for all j. But since N > |aj | for all j, this implies aj = 0 for all j.
But this implies that
p(i(1)) = p(0) = 0 6= 1
which is a contradiction. Hence Q is not a projective Z-module.
Problem 6.
Find an example of a non-free module N M of a free module M over some ring R.
Solution.
Let R = Z[X] and let M = R. Then submodules of M are precisely ideals of R. Suppose
that a free submodule I R had a basis of more than two elements, and let a, b be those
elements. Then since b a + a b = 0, we have a nontrivial relation between basis elements,
which is a contradiction. Hence any free submodule of R must be cyclic, i.e. it must be a
principal ideal.
Now let N = (2, X). We claim that N is not principal, so that N cannot have a basis
and hence is not a free module. Suppose that N = (p) for p Z[X]. Then we would need
a p = 2 for some a Z[X]. Therefore since Z is a domain, we must have deg p = 0, i.e.
p Z. Since 2 is prime, we have p = 1 or 2. Clearly p = 1 is inappropriate since
(p) = M 6= N . Additionally, if p = 2, then we cannot obtain b 2 = X for any choice of
b Z[X]. Therefore N is not principal, and we are done.
Problem 7.
Prove that M N is a projective (resp. injective) R-module, then M and N are also
projective (resp. injective).
Solution.
Since M N is projective, there exists P 0 such that M N P 0
= Rn is a free module.
But then M (N P 0 )
= Rn and N (M P 0 ) = Rn , so M and N are projective too.
If M N is injective, then for every injective homomorphism f : X Y and map
g : X M N , there exists a unique lift h : Y M N . Then since M N has
projection maps pM and pN onto M and N , we have:
4
f
0 X Y
g
h
M N
pM , pN
M, N
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Problem 10.
Prove that the ideal I Z[ 5] generated by 2 and 1 + 5 is a projective R-module. Is
I a free module?
Solution.
Let R = Z[ 5] and let f : R2 I be given by (r, s) 7 2r + (1 + 5)s. Then we have a
short exact sequence
0 ker f R2 I 0.
We claim this sequence is split. Let j : I R2 be given by
1 5
j() = 2, .
2
1 5
This is only valid if 2
R for any I. Since we may represent = 2x+(1+ 5)y,
we have
1 5
(2x + (1 + 5)y) = (1 5)x 3y R.
2
So this is well defined. Then we see
1 5 1 5
7 2, 7 4 (1 + 5) = .
2 2
Thus the sequence splits, so I ker f = R2 , hence I is projective. But I is not principal,
so it cannot
be a free module. To see it is not principal, suppose that I = (). Then since
2, 1 + 5 I, we would need
N () | N (2) = 4, N () | N (1 + 5) = 6,