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HW5 Soln

Abstract algebra

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26 views4 pages

HW5 Soln

Abstract algebra

Uploaded by

ihatbing345
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Homework 5 Solution. Math 113 Summer 2016.

1. Give examples of (commutative) subrings (with unity) R of C satisfying the following


containments and non-containments. If it’s not possible, explain why not. Note the
symbol ⊂ means “proper subset”1

(a) Q ⊂ R, R ⊂ R
(b) Q ⊂ R, R 6⊆ R.
(c) Z 6⊆ R.

Solution: (there are many possible correct answers)


√
(a) Could take R = Q[ 2]
(b) Could take R = Q[i] (or whatever you chose for (a) willl work as well)
(c) This is not possible - every subring of C contains Z. Since a subring must contain
1, and be closed under addition, it contains 1 + 1 + · · · + 1, so all positive integers
are contained in the subring. Since it’s closed under additive inversion, −1 must be
in there as well, and hence (−1) + (−1) + · · · + (−1), so all negative integers are
in there as well.

2. Let R = Z/nZ, n > 1, and k ∈ R be a nontrivial element (meaning r 6= 0). Prove

(a) k is a unit if and only if gcd(k, n) = 1.


(b) k is a zerodivisor if and only if gcd(k, n) > 1.
√
3. Prove that Q[ 2] is a field. (Hint: think about division in C!)
√ √
Solution: Recall that Q[ 2] = {a + b 2 | a, b ∈ Q} ⊂ R. We already know √ it’s a ring,
so just have to check that nonzero elements are units. If 0 6= x ∈ Q[ 2] and x ∈ Q
(ie b = 0), then x has a√multiplicative inverse, as you learned in elementary school. If
b 6= 0, so that x = a + b 2, then define
√
a−b 2
y= 2 .
a − 2b 2
√ √
This is a well-defined element of Q[ 2] (since a2 − 2b 2 6= 0 - else 2 ∈ Q), and you can
check that xy = yx = 1.

4. Let R be a ring (not assumed commutative) in which every element is idempotent. Prove
that R is in fact commutative, and satisfies r + r = 0 for every r ∈ R.
Solution: Suppose that r 2 = r , for every r ∈ R. Then, (1 + 1)2 = 1 + 1, so that
1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 1 + 1 =⇒ 1 + 1 = 0 ∈ R. Hence, −1 = 1 ∈ R and, for any r ∈ R, we
have r + r = r (1 + 1) = 0, so that −r = r . Now, let a, b ∈ R. Then,

(a + b)2 = a + b =⇒ a2 + ab + ba + b 2 = a + b =⇒ ab + ba = 0 =⇒ ab = −ba = ba.

Thus, R is commutative.

5. Decide which of the following sets are ideals in the given ring:
1
For this problem, at least.
(a) {p(x, y ) | p(x, x) = 0} ⊂ C[x, y ]
(b) {p(x, y ) | p(x, y ) = p(y , x)} ⊂ C[x, y ]

Solution: Denote the given set in each case by I .

(a) Ideal - if p, q ∈ I then (p − q)(x, x) = p(x, x) − q(x, x) = 0 − 0 = 0. Hence,


p − q ∈ I . If r ∈ C[x], p ∈ I then (rp)(x, x) = r (x, x)p(x, x) = r (x, x)0 = 0, so
that rp ∈ I .
(b) Not an ideal: xy is in the set, but if we scale it up by x, we get x 2 y , which is not
in the set.

6. Let R be a commutative ring with unity.

(a) Prove that Hom(Z, R) contains one element.


(b) Give an example of a commutative ring with unity R such that Hom(R, Z) = ∅.
(c) Give en example of a commutative ring with unity R such that Hom(R, Z) is infinite.

Solution:

(a) The function


n times
i : Z :→ R ; n 7→1R + ... + 1R

is a ring homomorphism. If f ∈ Hom(Z, R) is any other ring homomorphism then

f (n) = f (1 + ... + 1) = f (1) + ... + f (1) = 1R + ... + 1R = i(n) =⇒ i = f .

Hence, there is exactly one ring homomorphism Z → R.


(b) R = Z/2Z - we would require that 0 = f (0) = f (1 + 1) = 1 + 1 = 2 ∈ Z, which is
absurd.
(c) Take R = Z[x]. Then, Hom(R, Z) is in bijection with Z, as we saw in class.

7. (a) Let R = C[x, y ], I = (y − x). What ring is R/I isomorphic to?


(b) Let R = Z[x], I = (3, x). What ring is R/I isomorphic to?
Solution: (there are many possible correct answers)

(a) C[x] (or C[y ])


(b) Z/3Z

8. Prove that every field has exactly two ideals. What are they?
Solution Assume R is a field. The only two ideals are (0), R - if I 6= (0) is an ideal then
there is some nonzero x ∈ I . Hence, as R is a field, x is a unit. Thus, 1 = x −1 x ∈ I
and I = R. Note that (0) and R are actually distinct ideals, as otherwise R would be the
zero ring, and this is prohibited by the definition of a field.

9. In this problem you will give a precise meaning to the process of ‘adjoining elements’
described in the notes.

(a) Prove that any subring R ⊂ C contains Z.


(b) Suppose that (Ri )i∈I is a family
T of subrings of C (ie, some arbitrary collection of
subrings of C). Prove that i∈I Ri is a subring of C.

2
(c) Let Y ⊂ C be a subset. Prove that there exists a subring R ⊂ C containing2 Y
with the following property: if S ⊂ C is a subring such that Y ⊂ S, then R ⊂ S.
(The subring R just determined is often denoted Z[Y ])
√
(d) Let Y = { 2} ⊂ C. Prove that there is an isomorphism of rings

Z[x]/(x 2 − 2) ∼
= Z[Y ].

(Hint: Give an explicit description of Z[Y ])


(e) Let Y = {π} ⊂ C. Prove that there is an isomorphism of rings

Z[x] ∼
= Z[Y ].

You will need to use the following fact: there is no polynomial f ∈ Z[x] such that
f (π) = 0. (This means that π is a transcendental number; it is a surprisingly hard
result to prove.)

Solution:

(a) Since 1 ∈ R then n = 1 + ... + 1 ∈ R, for any n ∈ Z>0 . Hence, −n is also in R,


since it is an additive subgroup of C.
(b) Denote the given intersection R. Let r , s ∈ R. Then, r , s ∈ Ri , for every i ∈ I .
Hence, r + s ∈ Ri , for every i ∈ I , so that r + s ∈ R. Similarly, we can show that
−r ∈ R and 0 ∈ R. Hence, R is a subgroup of (C, +). Moreover, rs ∈ Ri , for every
i ∈ I , so that rs ∈ R, and 1 ∈ Ri , for every i ∈ I , so that 1 ∈ R.
T
(c) Let I = {S ⊂ C | Y ⊂ S, S subring}. Then, R = S∈I S is a subring of C, by
(b), and, as Y ⊂ S, for every S ∈ I , Y ⊂ R. Moreover, if S 0 ⊂ C is a subring
containing Y then S 0 ∈ I , and R ⊂ S 0 .
(d) Define the homomorphism of rings
√
f : Z[x] → C; ; x 7→ 2.
√
Then, im f = Z[Y ], because Z[Y ] = {a + b 2 | a, b ∈ Z} -√ this is true because√the
given set is a subring (as can be easily verified) containing 2. Hence, {a + b 2}
is contained in the√set I described in (c). Moreover, since√ Z is a subring of every
subring of C, and √ 2 ∈ Z[Y ], then we must have {a + b 2} ⊂ Z[Y ]. This √ implies
that Z[Y ] = {a + b 2} since Z[Y ] is the smallest subring of C containing 2.
If p = ai x i ∈ ker f then
P

√ X √ √ √
0 = p( 2) = ai ( 2)i =⇒ (a0 +2a2 +4a4 +...)+ 2(a1 +2a3 +...) = a+b 2.
√ √ √
Since √2 is irrational, we must have a = b = 0. As p(− 2) = a − b 2, we see
that ± 2 are roots of p. Hence, p = (x 2 − 2)q, for some q ∈ Z[x]. This implies
that ker f = (x 2 − 2), and the result follows by the Isomorphism Theorem.
(e) Define
f : Z[x] → C ; x 7→ π.
Then, in a similar way as (d), we have that im f = {a0 + a1 π + ... + an π n | ai ∈ Z},
and ker f = 0 using the given fact - if p ∈ ker f then p(π) = 0.
2
This was erroneously omitted from the original version.

3
10. Prove that if an element u in a commutative ring R with unity is not contained in any
proper ideal, then u must be a unit.
Solution: If u is not contained in any proper ideal then the ideal (u) = R. Hence, there
is some v ∈ R such that uv = 1 ∈ R, since 1 ∈ (u). Thus, u is a unit.

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