Math-5209(Abstract Algebra III)

2019-2020 Academic Year(Semester II)

Department of Mathematics
Taunggyi University
Text: I.N.Herstein, Abstract Algebra, Third Edition,
Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, 1996.
Chapter 4: Ring Theory pg. 125-151

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 1-1W/8-12WP
Abstract Algebra III
Math-5209
TGU

September 11, 2020

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1. Definitions and Examples
a group is an algebraic system with only one operation.

a ring is an algebraic system with two operations;

addition and multiplication operations

operation (=binary operation)

an operation is a function

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Definition
Let R 6= ∅. R is called a ring if the two operations + and · from
R × R → R defined by

+((a, b)) = a + b and · ((a, b)) = a · b

such that:

(a) a, b ∈ R =⇒ a + b ∈ R for a, b ∈ R. (Closure law under addition)

(b) a + b = b + a for a, b ∈ R. (Commutative law under addition)

(c) a + (b + c) = (a + b) + c for a, b, c ∈ R.(Associative law under addition)
(d) There exists an element 0 ∈ R such that

a + 0 = 0 + a = a, ∀a ∈ R.

(0 is called an additive identity)

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(e) There exists an element b ∈ R for each a ∈ R such that

a + b = b + a = 0.

Write b = −a, called additive inverse of a.

R is an abelian under + .

(f) a, b ∈ R =⇒ a · b ∈ R. (Closure law under multiplication)

(g) a · (b · c) = (a · b) · c, for a, b, c ∈ R.
(Associative law under multiplication)

(h) a · (b + c) = a · b + a · c and
(b + c) · a = b · a + c · a, for a, b, c ∈ R.
(Left and right distributive)

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Notes
(a)-(h) are called axioms.

R is also called associative ring.

There exists an element 1 ∈ R such that 1 · a = a · 1 = a, for every

a ∈ R, then R is called a ring with unit.

R = {0}, where 0 is an additive identity element, 0 6= 1, is a ring

which has no unit element.

In a ring R, for a, b ∈ R if a · b = 0, then a = 0 or b = 0; R is called

domain.

In a ring R, for a, b ∈ R, if a · b = b · a, then R is called commutative

ring.

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A commutative ring R is an integral domain if a · b = 0 in
R =⇒ a = 0 or b = 0.

Let R be a ring with unit. R is called a division ring if for every

a 6= 0 in R there exists an element a−1 such that
a · a−1 = a−1 · a = 1.

A commutative division ring is called a field.

(Otherwise, R is a field if the nonzero elements of R form an abelian
group under · , the product in R.)

We write ab instead of a · b to simplify.

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Example 1 [pg.128]
Show that the set of all integers, Z is a ring under the usual addition and
multiplication of integers. Is it an integral domain?

Let Z = {0, ±1, ±2, ±3, . . .}.

(a) a, b ∈ Z =⇒ a + b ∈ Z since the addition of two integers is

an integer.

(b) a + (b + c) = (a + b) + c, ∀a, b, c ∈ Z.

(c) a + b = b + a since a, b ∈ Z

(d) For any a ∈ Z, a + 0 = 0 + a = a.

Thus 0 is an additive identity element in Z.

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(e) For any a ∈ Z, there exists −a ∈ Z such that a + (−a) = −a + a = 0.
Thus −a is an additive inverse of a.

(f) a, b ∈ Z =⇒ a × b ∈ Z since multiplication of any two integers is

an integer.

(g) a ×(b × c) = (a × b) × c, ∀a, b, c ∈ Z.

(h) a × (b + c) = a × b + a × c and
(b + c) × a = b × a + c × a.
Thus Z is a ring under + and × .#
For a, b ∈ Z, a × b = b × a, thus Z is a commutative ring.
Suppose a × b = 0 in Z and a 6= 0. Then b = 0.
Thus Z is an integral domain.#

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Example 2 [Pg.128]
Let Q be the set of all rational numbers. Show that Q is a field under
usual addition and multiplication.
p
 
Let Q = | p, q ∈ Z, q 6= 0 .
q
p r
(a) Let a, b ∈ Q, then a = , b = where q, s 6= 0, p, q, r, s ∈ Z. Then
q s

p r ps + qr
a+b= + = ∈ Q where qs 6= 0.
q s qs

ps + qr rq + sp r p
(b) a + b = = = + = b + a.
qs sq s q

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 ps + qr t t
(c) (a + b) + c = + where c = , u ∈ Z, u 6= 0
qs u u
ps + qr)u + (qs)t
=
qs)u

(ps)u + (qr)u] + q(st)
=
q(su)
p(su) + [q(ru) + q(st)]
=
q(su)
p(su) + q(ru + st)
=
q(su)
p ru + st
= +
q su
r t
 
=a+ +
s u
= a + (b + c).

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 0
(d) For any a ∈ Q, there is an element 0 = , where s 6= 0, in Z such that
s
p 0 ps + 0 ps
a+0= + = = =a
q s qs qs
and
0 p 0 + sp sp
0+a= + = = = a.
s q sq sq
Thus 0 is an additive identity element in Q.
p
(e) For any a ∈ Q, we have −a = − ∈ Q such that
q
p p p−p
a + (−a) = + (− ) = =0
q q q
and
p p −p + p
−a + a = − + = = 0.
q q q
Thus −a is an inverse of a in Q.
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 p r p r pr
(f) a = , b = ∈ Q =⇒ a × b = × = ∈Q
q s q s qs
since pq 6= 0 as p 6= 0, q 6= 0.

(g) For any a, b, c ∈ Q, we have

p r t
 
(a × b) × c = × ×
q s u
pr t
= ×
qs u
pr)t
=
qs)u
p(rt)
=
q(su)
p rt
= ×
q su
r t
 
=a× × = a × (b × c).
s u
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(h) For any a, b, c ∈ Q, we have p(ts) rt
(a + b) × c = +
qu)s us
p r t
 
(a + b) × c = + × pt)s r t
q s u = + ×
qu)s s u
ps + qr t
= × p t
qs u = × +b×c
q u
ps + qr)t
=
qs)u = a × c + b × c.
ps)t + (qr)t
=
q(su)
p(st) + q(rt)
=
q(su)
p(st) q(rt)
= +
q(us) q(us)

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Also, for any a, b, c ∈ Q, we have and

t p t r
c×a+c×b= × + ×
u q u s
tp tr
= +
uq us
t p r tp)s q(tr)
 
c × (a + b) = × + = +
u q s uq)s q(us)
t ps + qr t(ps) qt)r
= × = +
u qs u(qs) qu)s
t(ps + qr) t(ps) tq)r
= = +
u(qs) u(qs) uq)s
t(ps) + t(qr) t(ps) + t(qr)
= = .
u(qs) u(qs)

Thus c × (a + b) = c × a + c × b. Thus Q is a ring.#

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 1
For any a ∈ Q, there is an element 1 = ∈ Q such that
1
p 1 p
a×1= × = =a
q 1 q
and
1 p p
1×a= × = = a.
1 q q
Hence 1 is a unit element in Q. For any a, b ∈ Q, we have
p r pr rp r p
a×b= × = = = × = b × a.
q s qs sq s q
Thus Q is a commutative ring with unit. Let a ∈ Q and a 6= 0. Then
p q
a = , p, q 6= 0. Then a−1 = ∈ Q such that
q p
p q q p
a × a−1 = × = 1 and a−1 × a = × = 1.
q p p q
Hence nonzero element in Q has an inverse. Thus Q is a field.#
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Example 3 [Pg. 128]
Show that the set of all real numbers, R is a field under usual addition
and multiplication.(Check axioms as Example 2)

Example 4 [Pg. 128]

Show that the set of all complex numbers, C is a field under usual
addition and multiplication.

Let C = {a + ib | a, b ∈ R}.
(a) x, y ∈ C =⇒ x + y = (a + ib) + (c + id) = (a + c) + i(b + d) ∈ C
where x = a + ib and y = c + id.

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(b)
x + y = (a + ib) + (c + id)

= (a + c) + i(b + d)

= (c + a) + i(d + b)

= c + id + a + ib

= y + x.
(c)
(x + y) + z = [a + c + i(b + d)] + (e + if ) where z = e + if

= [(a + c) + e] + i[(b + d) + f ]

= [a + (c + e)] + i[b + (d + f )]

= a + ib + [(c + e) + i(d + f )]

= x + [(c + id) + (e + if )]

= x + (y + z).
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(d) For any x ∈ C, we have 0 = 0 + i0 ∈ C such that

x + 0 = (a + ib) + (0 + i0) = a + ib = x

and
0 + x = (0 + i0) + (a + ib) = a + ib = x.

Thus x + 0 = 0 + x = x so that 0 is an additive identity element in C

(e) For any x ∈ C, we have −x = −a − ib ∈ C such that

x + (−x) = a + ib − a − ib = a − a + i(b − b) = 0

and
−x + x = −a − ib + a + ib = −a + a + i(−b + b) = 0.

Thus x + (−x) = −x + x = 0 so that −x is an inverse of x in C.

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(f)

x, y ∈ C =⇒ x × y = (a + ib) × (c + id)

= ac + iad + ibc − bd

= ac − bd + i(ad + bc) ∈ C.
(g)
x × (y × z) = (a + ib) × [(c + id) × (e + if )]
= (a + ib) × [(ce − df ) + i(cf + de)]
= a(ce) − a(df ) + ia(cf ) + ia(de) + ib(ce) − ib(df ) − b(cf ) − b(de)
= (ac)e − (bd)e − (ad)f − (bc)f + i(ac)f − i(bd)f + i(ad)e + i(bc)e
= [(ac − bd)e − (ad + bc)f ] + i[(ac − bd)f + (ad + bc)e]
= [(ac − bd) + i(ad + bc)] × (e + if )
= [(a + ib) × (c + id)] × (e + if )
= (x × y) × z for all x, y, z ∈ C.
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(h) (x × z) + (y × z) = (a + ib)(e + if ) + (c + id)(e + if )

= ae + iaf + ibe − bf + ce + icf + ide − df

= ae + ce − bf − df + iaf + icf + ibe + ide

= (a + c)e − (b + d)f + i[(a + c)f + (b + d)e]

= [(a + c) + i(b + d)](e + if ) = (x + y) × z.

Similarly, z × (x + y) = z × x + z × y. Thus C is a ring under addition and

multiplication. For any x, y ∈ C

x × y = (a + ib) × (c + id)

= ac + iad + ibc − bd

= ca + ida + icb − db

= (c + id)(a + ib) = y × x.

Thus C is a commutative ring.

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For any x ∈ C, there exists an element 1 = 1 + i0 ∈ C such that

x × 1 = (a + ib) × (1 + i0) = a + ib + 0 = x

and
1 × x = (1 + i0) × (a + ib) = a + ib + 0 = x.

Thus, 1 × x = x × 1 = x. Thus 1 is a unit element in C. Let

x = a + ib 6= 0 in C.Then a 6= 0 and b 6= 0. Then there exists
a − ib
y = x−1 = 2 ∈ C such that
a + b2

a − ib a − ib
x × y = (a + ib) × = 1 and y × x = × (a + ib) = 1.
a2 + b2 a2 + b2

a − ib
Thus x × y = y × x = 1 so that y = is an inverse of x under ×.
a2 + b2
Thus C is a field under + and × .#
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The End

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