Scribd
Upload
37 views2 pages

Winter 2014: MATH 392 Group Project: On Polynomials With Integers Mod N Cofficients

1. The set of nilpotent elements in a commutative ring R is an ideal of R contained in the non-units of R. 2. The relationships between the sets of nilpotent elements, units, idempotent elements, and zero-divisors in a ring R can be depicted in a diagram. 3. If R is a domain, the only nilpotent element is 0, and the other sets are characterized.

Uploaded by

Johnny Felittss
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
37 views2 pages

Winter 2014: MATH 392 Group Project: On Polynomials With Integers Mod N Cofficients

1. The set of nilpotent elements in a commutative ring R is an ideal of R contained in the non-units of R. 2. The relationships between the sets of nilpotent elements, units, idempotent elements, and zero-divisors in a ring R can be depicted in a diagram. 3. If R is a domain, the only nilpotent element is 0, and the other sets are characterized.

Uploaded by

Johnny Felittss
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Winter 2014: MATH 392 Group Project: On polynomials with integers mod n cocients

Instructions: Each group of three students should write a complete solution to each of the following questions. One uniformly written solution per group should be turned in for grading. Recall that an element a of a ring R is called nilpotent if there exists a positive integer n such that an = 0. An element a R is called idempotent if a2 = a. In all that follows, R will denote a commutative ring with identity 1. Notations: For a commutative ring with identity R (R) will denote the set of all nilpotent elements in R, U (R) will denote the set of units of R, I (R) will denote the set of idempotent elements in R, ZD(R) will denote the set of zero-divisors in R. In addition, for questions 16 and 17, we will use the following notations. Uk,n [X ] = {f (x) U (Zn [X ]) : deg (f (x)) k } and Nk,n = |Uk,n [X ]|. 1. Verify that (R) R \ U (R). Interpret this inclusion using words. 2. Investigate the relationships between: (R), U (R), I (R), and ZD(R). Draw a diagram that summarizes the relationships. 3. Show that if R is a domain, then (R) = {0}. What about about U (R), I (R), and ZD(R)? 4. Suppose that R1 , R2 are commutative rings with identities. Show that U (R1 R2 ) = U (R1 )U (R2 ); I (R1 R2 ) = I (R1 )I (R2 ); (R1 R2 ) = (R1 ) (R2 ). Does a similar result hold for the operator ZD? Explain. 5. Show that (R) is an ideal of R. Is I (R) always an ideal of R? Justify. 6. Show if x is nilpotent, then 1 x are units (R), 7. Deduce from 4. that if u is a unit and x is nilpotent, then u x are units. i 8. Let f (x) R[X ] and write f (x) = n i=0 ai x . Show that f (x) is a unit in R[X ] if and only if a0 in a unit in R and for all i = 1, . . . , n; ai is nilpotent in R. n i 9. Let f (x) R[X ] and write f (x) = i=0 ai x . Show that f (x) is nilpotent in R[X ] if and only if for all i = 0, . . . , n; ai is nilpotent in R.
1

2
n i 10. Let f (x) R[X ] and write f (x) = i=0 ai x . Show that f (x) is idempotent in R[X ] if and only if a0 is idempotent in R and ai = 0 for all i = 1, . . . , n, that id I (R[X ]) = I (R). 11. Using 7. and the diagram in 2., justify that if R is a domain, then U (R[X ]) = U (R). 12. Show that a is nilpotent in Zn if and only if every prime divisor of n divides a. Deduce a formula for the number (n) of nilpotent elements in Zn . 13. Compute I (Z15 ) and I (Z24 ). 14. Compute (Z36 ). 15. An integer is called square-free it is not divisible by the square of a prime number. Describe all the integer n such that (Zn ) = {0}. Is the converse of 3. valid? Justify. 16. Describe completely which polynomials (in one variable) with coecients in Zn are invertible. That is describe the units of Zn [X ]. 17. Describe completely which polynomials (in one variable) with coecients in Zn are nilpotent. That is describe (Zn [X ]). 18. Compute U2,3 [X ], and deduce N2,3 . 19. Using the results above, nd a formula for Nk,n for every k 0 and n 1. 20. Describe completely which polynomials (in two variables) with coecients in Zn are invertible. That is describe the units of Zn [X,Y]. 21. Describe all the idempotent elements in Zn . (hint: Problem #1 on page 259 of the book can be useful.) 22. Describe completely which polynomials (in one variable) with coecients in Zn are idempotent. That is describe the idempotent elements in Zn [X ]. 23. Show that f (x) is a zero-divisor in R[X ] if and only if there exists r R such that r f (x) = 0. (note: one direction of this is trivial, while the other is quite tricky, feel free to look it up and write in your own style.) 24. Deduce from 23. that if f (x) is a zero-divisor in R[X ], then each coecient of f (x) is a zero-divisor in R. Is the converse true? Justify. 25. Describe as much as you can all the zero-divisors in Zn [X ]. Extra Credit: Conjecture and prove some of the properties of Nk,n . You can the properties of binomial coecients as a guide.

You might also like