Math 202 - Assignment 7 Solutions

Authors: Yusuf Goren, Miguel-Angel Manrique and Rory Laster

Exercise 10.3.2. Let R be a commutative ring with identity. For all positive integers n and m,
Rn
= Rm if and only if n = m.
Proof. Let : Rn Rm be an isomorphism of R-modules and let I E R be a maximal ideal. Then

the map : Rn Rm /IRm given by ()

= () is a morphism of R-modules. Moreover

ker = { Rn | ()
= 0} = { Rn | () IRm } = 1 (IRm ) = IRn .
Therefore by the first isomorphism theorem Rn /IRn
= Rm /IRm . We already showed that Rm /IRm
=
m
(R/I) . Since I is maximal, F := R/I is a field and we have an isomorphism of F -vector spaces
R/I)n
= (R/I)m . Hence n = m.
Exercise 10.3.6. Let R be a ring with identity and let M be a left R-module. If M is a finitely
generated R-module that is generated by n elements, then every quotient of M may be generated by n
or fewer elements. In particular, quotients of cyclic modules are cyclic.
Proof. Assume that M is generated by A = {a1 , . . . , an } and let N E M 1 . Then M/N is generated
by A = {a1 + N, . . . , an + N } since for any m M , m = r1 a1 + + rn an for some r1 , . . . , rn R and
m + N = r1 a1 + + rn an + N = (r1 a1 + N ) + + (rn an + N ) = r1 (a1 + N ) + + rn (an + N ).

Exercise 10.3.7. Let R be a ring with identity and let N be a left R-submodule of M . If both M/N
and N are finitely generated, then M is also.
Proof. Assume that N E M with generators b1 , . . . , bk and that M/N is generated by a1 + N, . . . , an +
N . Let m M be arbitrary. Then there exist r1 , . . . , rn R such that
m + N = r1 (a1 + N ) + + rn (an + N ) = r1 a1 + + rn an + N = m (r1 a1 + + rn an ) N.
Hence there exist rn+1 , . . . , rn+k R such that
m (r1 a1 + + rn an ) = rn+1 b1 + + rn+k bk = m = r1 a1 + + rn an + rn+1 b1 + + rn+k bk .
Therefore M is generated by a1 , . . . , an , b1 , . . . , bk .
Definition. Let R be a ring. An R-module M is irreducible if M 6= 0 and if 0 and M are the only
R-submodules of M .
Exercise 10.3.9. Let R be a ring with identity and let M be a left R-module. M is irreducible if and
only if M is a nonzero cyclic module such that any nonzero element of M is a generator.
Proof. Assume M 6= 0 is irreducible and let 0 6= m M be arbitrary. Then the submodule generated
by m is, as the name asserts, a non-trivial submodule of M hence it must be equal to M . Therefore
M is cyclic and generated by any non-zero element.
Conversely, assume that M is cyclic module generated by any non-zero element. Assume that
N E M is a non-trivial submodule. Since it is non-trivial, it contains a non-zero element, say n.
Therefore the submodule generated by n is a submodule of N and hence Rn = M E N which implies
that N = M . So M is irreducible.
1 I tend to denote subgroups and subrings by ; on the other hand normal subgroups, ideals and submodules are
denoted by E. The idea is to distinguish the substructures that you can quotient out and the ones that you cant.

Exercise 10.3.11. Let R be a ring with identity and let M1 and M2 be left R-modules. If M1 and
M2 are irreducible, then any nonzero R-module homomorphism from M1 to M2 is an isomorphism.
Moreover, for every irreducible left R-module M , EndR (M ) is a division ring.
Proof. Let : M1 M2 be a non-zero morphism of irreducible modules. Then M1 6= ker E M1 and
hence ker = 0. On the other hand 0 6= (M1 ) E M2 and hence (M1 ) = M2 . Therefore is an
isomorphism of irreducible modules. If M1 = M2 = M is irreducible, every endomorphism is invertible
and therefore EndR (M ) is a division ring.
Exercise 10.3.16. Let A1 , . . . , Ak be any ideals in the ring R. Prove that the map
f : M M/A1 M M/Ak M ;

m 7 (m + A1 M, . . . , m + Ak M )

is an R-module homomorphism with kernel A1 M A2 M Ak M .

Proof. Let r R and m, m0 M .To see that f is an R-module homomorphism, write
(m + rm0 ) = ((m + rm0 ) + A1 M, (m + rm0 ) + A2 M, . . . , (m + rm0 ) + Ak M )
= (m + A1 M, m + A2 M, . . . , m + Ak M ) + r(m0 + A1 M, m0 + A2 M, . . . , m0 + Ak M )
= (m) + r(m0 ).
Now it is obvious that A1 M A2 M Ak M ker(f ). Suppose m
ker(f ). We have
f (m)
= (0 + A1 M, 0 + A2 M, . . . , 0 + Ak M ),
whence m
Ai M , for i {1, 2, . . . , k}.
Exercise 10.3.17. In the notation of the previous exercise, assume further that R is commutative
and that the ideals A1 , A2 , . . . , Ak are pairwise comaximal. Then
M/(A1 . . . Ak )M
= M/A1 M M/Ak M.
Proof. We will first show that for any two comaximal ideals Ai and Aj , we have Ai M Aj M = Ai Aj M .
The inclusion Ai Aj M Ai M Aj M is clear. For the reverse, suppose x Ai M Aj M , and write
ai + aj = 1 with ai Ai and aj Aj . Then
x = 1 x = (ai + aj )x = ai x + aj x
implies ai x, aj x Ai Aj M since x Ai M Aj M . To go from n = 2 to higher n, we will use an
induction, needing to show at each step that A1 Ak1 and Ak are comaximal. By assumption,
Ak and Ak are comaximal for i {1, . . . , k 1}, so there exist xi Ai and yi Ak so that xi + yi = 1.
Then
1=

k1
Y

(xi + yi )

i=1

= x1 . . . xk1 +

(terms involving ys).

The sum of terms involving ys lies in Ak , and x1 . . . xk1 A1 Ak1 , whence 1 A1

Ak1 + Ak , as desired.
Now we will use the first isomorphism theorem for modules to complete the problem. To do so it
remains to show the map f is surjective. Let (m1 + A1 , . . . , mk + Ak ) M/A1 M M/Ak M.
be arbitrary. Since the A1 , . . . , Ak are pairwise coprime, for i, j {1, . . . , k} and i 6= j, there exist

aij Ai and bij Aj so that aij + bij = 1. For l {1, . . . , k}, define cl = a1l a2l ac
ll akl . Also
define x = c1 m1 + + ck mk . We have
f (x) = ((c1 m1 + + ck mk ) + A1 M, . . . , (c1 m1 + + ck mk ) + Ak M )
= ((c1 m1 + A1 M ) + + (ck mk + A1 M ), . . . , (c1 m1 + Ak M ) + + (ck mk + Ak M ))
Notice cj = (a1j a2j ai1,j ai+1,j ac
jj akj )aij . Since aij Ai , we have cj Ai if i 6= j. Also,
for n {1, . . . , k}, we have
cl = (1 b1l )(1 b2l ) (1\
bll ) (1 bkl )
|{z}
|{z}
|{z}
Al

=1+

Al

Al

(products with at least one term from Al )

This implies cl 1 + Al M , and thus cl 1 mod Al M , l {1, . . . , k}. Thus we have

f (x) = (c1 m1 + A1 M, . . . , ck mk + Ak M )
= (m1 + A1 M, . . . , mk + Ak M ),
as desired.
Exercise
Q 10.3.24. Let Mi be the free Z-module Z for all positive integers i and let M be the direct
product iZ+ Mi . Then M is not a free Z-module.
Proof. Here N and M are the direct sum and the direct product of {Mk }kZ+ respectively -where
Mk = Z. We view N as a submodule of M .
(a) For any = (k )kZ+ N , let (n) Z+ be the index such that k = 0 for any k 0 > (k).
Then : N Z+ has countable fibers since 1 (k)
= Zk as sets. Therefore, as it is the preimage of a
countable set under a countable-to-one map, N is countable2 .
(b) Let F(I) denote the set of finite subsets of I and let B = {ei }iI be a basis for M . Similar
to part (a), one can talk aboutPa set-theoretic map B : M F(I) defined as follows: since for any
element m M we P
have m = iI i ei where i Z, let B (m) = {i I | i 6= 0}. So we can write
the sum as m =
i ei . The direct sum N has a canonical basis {fk }kZ+ where (fk )j = 1 if
iB (m)
S
k = j and (fk )j = 0 otherwise. Let I1 =
B (fk ) and B1 = {ei }iI1 . Notice that since each B (fk )
kZ+

is finite, I1 and, hence, B1 is countable. Let N1 be the submodule generated by B1 . By the same
argument in part (a), N1 is also countable.
(c) Clearly
a basis for M and, hence, it is free. So for 0 6= x
M we
P B B1 = {ei | i I I1 } is P
have x =
i ei and therefore x
=
i ei . This last sum makes sense since x
6= 0 implies
iB (x)

iB (x)I1

+
that J := B (x) I1 is non-empty. Let = {k ZP
| k divides j for all j J}, the set of k for

which the equation x = km has a solution with m = jJ kj .

+

(d) An element s S can be written as s = (k (k!))kZ+ where k = 1. So : S {1}Z given

+
by (s) = (k ) is clearly a bijection of sets. Therefore, since {1}Z is uncountable, S is uncountable.
Since N1 is countable, S cannot be contained in N1 and there exists an s S N1 .
(e) Let s S N1 and for k Z+ let mk M such that (mk )j = 0 for j < k and (mk )j = sj /k
for j k. So (s kmk )j = sj for j < k and (s kmk )j = 0 for j k. Hence s kmk N N1 and
therefore s = kmk . This contradicts (c) and therefore M is not free.
Q
Exercise 10.3.27. Let M be the Z-module iZ+ Z and let R be its endomorphism ring, EndZ (M ).
Define 1 , 2 R by

2 The

1 (a1 , a2 , a3 , . . .)

(a1 , a3 , a5 , . . .) and

2 (a1 , a2 , a3 , . . .)

(a2 , a4 , a6 , . . .).

proof of this fact is an application of axiom of choice.

a. {1 , 2 } is a free basis of the left R-module R and

b. R
= Rn for all positive integers n.
Proof. (a) Define 1 , 2 R by 1 (a1 , a2 , a3 , . . .) = (a1 , 0, a2 , 0, a3 , 0, . . .) and 2 (a1 , a2 , a3 , . . .) =
(0, a1 , 0, a2 , 0, a3 , 0, . . .). It follows that 1 1 + 2 2 is the identity map on M and, so, for any r R
we have that r = r1 1 + r2 2 . That is, R = R1 + R2 . To conclude that the sum is direct, it
remains to show that R1 R2 = {0}. It follows that 1 1 = 2 2 = id and 2 1 = 1 2 = 0.
Therefore, if r1 1 = r2 2 , then multiplying on the right by 1 gives r1 = 0 and multiplying by 2
gives r2 = 0, as desired.
(b) By part (a), the map A : R2 R given by (r1 , r2 ) 7 r1 1 + r2 2 is an isomorphism. Hence,
n n1
R =R
due to the isomorphism (id, . . . , id, A) where there are exactly n 1 identity maps. Thus
R
= Rn by induction.

References
[DF]

Dummit, David and Foote, Richard. Abstract Algebra, 3rd edition.