maths.free › Abstract Algebra › Rings › Ring Homomorphisms and Ideals
Ring Homomorphisms and Ideals
In the study of groups, a homomorphism is a map that preserves the operation of the group. Similarly, a homomorphism between rings preserves the operations of addition and multiplication in the ring.
Ring Homomorphisms and Ideals
In the study of groups, a homomorphism is a map that preserves the operation of the group. Similarly, a homomorphism between rings preserves the operations of addition and multiplication in the ring. More specifically, if \(R\) and \(S\) are rings, then a ring homomorphism is a map \(\phi : R \rightarrow S\) satisfying \[\begin{aligned}\phi( a + b ) & = \phi( a ) + \phi(b) \\ \phi( a b ) & = \phi( a ) \phi(b)\end{aligned}\] for all \(a, b \in R\). If \(\phi : R \rightarrow S\) is a one-to-one and onto homomorphism, then \(\phi\) is called an isomorphism of rings.
The set of elements that a ring homomorphism maps to \(0\) plays a fundamental role in the theory of rings. For any ring homomorphism \(\phi : R \rightarrow S\), we define the kernel of a ring homomorphism to be the set \[\begin{aligned}\end{aligned}\].
Example
For any integer \(n\) we can define a ring homomorphism \(\phi : {\mathbb Z} \rightarrow {\mathbb Z}_n\) by \(a \mapsto a \pmod{n}\). This is indeed a ring homomorphism, since \[\begin{aligned}\phi( a + b ) & = (a + b) \pmod{n} \\ & = a \pmod{n} + b \pmod{n} \\ & = \phi( a ) + \phi(b)\end{aligned}\] and \[\begin{aligned}\phi( a b ) & = ab \pmod{n} \\ & = a \pmod{n}\cdot b \pmod{n} \\ & = \phi( a ) \phi(b)\end{aligned}\]. The kernel of the homomorphism \(\phi\) is \(n {\mathbb Z}\).
Example
Let \(C[a, b]\) be the ring of continuous real-valued functions on an interval \([a,b]\) as in . For a fixed \(\alpha \in [a, b]\), we can define a ring homomorphism \(\phi_{\alpha} : C[a, b] \rightarrow {\mathbb R}\) by \(\phi_{\alpha} (f ) = f( \alpha)\). This is a ring homomorphism since \[\begin{aligned}\phi_{\alpha}( f + g ) = (f + g)( \alpha) = f(\alpha) + g(\alpha) = \phi_{\alpha}( f ) + \phi_{\alpha}(g ) \\ \phi_{\alpha}( f g ) = (f g)( \alpha) = f(\alpha) g(\alpha) = \phi_{\alpha}( f ) \phi_{\alpha}(g )\end{aligned}\]. Ring homomorphisms of the type \(\phi_{\alpha}\) are called evaluation homomorphisms.
In the next proposition we will examine some fundamental properties of ring homomorphisms. The proof of the proposition is left as an exercise.
Example
Every ring \(R\) has at least two ideals, \(\{ 0 \}\) and \(R\). These ideals are called the trivial ideals.
Let \(R\) be a ring with identity and suppose that \(I\) is an ideal in \(R\) such that \(1\) is in \(I\). Since for any \(r \in R\), \(r1 = r \in I\) by the definition of an ideal, \(I = R\).
Condensed: the full section is in Judson, Abstract Algebra: Theory and Applications.
Now you No calculator settles this one, but the pieces of it are computable. Try one below, or type your own.
Symbols used here
Tap any symbol for the full definition, a picture, and what every letter in it means.
Questions people ask
What is a group, in plain words?
A set with one operation that is associative, has an identity, and lets every element be undone. Symmetries of any object form a group. That is where the idea came from.
What is the difference between a ring and a field?
A ring has addition and multiplication that behave like the integers (you cannot always divide); a field is a ring where every non-zero element has a reciprocal, like the rationals or the reals.
Parts of this page are adapted from Judson, Abstract Algebra: Theory and Applications (GFDL 1.3). Condensed and re-explained here; errors are ours.
More in Abstract Algebra
GroupsSubgroups, cosets and Lagrange's theoremCyclic groups and permutation groupsHomomorphisms, normal subgroups and quotient groupsRings and fieldsGalois theory: why the quintic has no formula