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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.

Symbols used here

a \equiv b \pmod n

congruent modulo n
n divides a − b; a and b have the same remainder.

x \in A,\ A \subseteq B

element of, subset
x belongs to A; every element of A is in B.

\pm

plus or minus
Both signs at once: x = 3 ± 2 means 5 and 1.

\mathbb{N},\ \mathbb{Z},\ \mathbb{Q},\ \mathbb{R},\ \mathbb{C}

number sets
Naturals, integers, rationals, reals, complex numbers.

\blacksquare\ \text{or}\ \square

end of proof (halmos)
Marks the point where the statement has been established.

a \mid b,\ \gcd(a,b)

divides, greatest common divisor
b is a multiple of a; the largest number dividing both.

(G, \cdot),\ e,\ g^{-1}

group, identity, inverse
A set with an operation; the do-nothing element; the element that undoes g.

G \cong H,\ G / N

isomorphic, quotient group
Same structure; the group of cosets of a normal subgroup N.

\mathbb{Z}/n\mathbb{Z},\ \mathbb{Z}_n

integers modulo n
The remainders 0…n−1 with clock arithmetic.

\operatorname{Hom}(A, B),\ f \circ g

arrows from A to B, composition
The set of morphisms; do g then f.

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.

Ipprova tiegħek stess

Parts of this page are adapted from Judson, Abstract Algebra: Theory and Applications (GFDL 1.3). Condensed and re-explained here; errors are ours.

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Groups Subgroups, cosets and Lagrange's theorem Cyclic groups and permutation groups Homomorphisms, normal subgroups and quotient groups Rings and fields Galois theory: why the quintic has no formula