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Lecture 1

This document defines modules over rings. A module is a set with two operations: addition and scalar multiplication by elements of the ring that satisfy certain axioms. Examples of modules include vector spaces, free modules, rings as modules over themselves, and quotient rings. The document also defines submodules, quotient modules, and module homomorphisms. Finally, it relates module structures to group actions, stating that Z[G]-module structures on an abelian group M correspond to actions of G on M by group automorphisms.

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Sohaib Naeem
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24 views3 pages

Lecture 1

This document defines modules over rings. A module is a set with two operations: addition and scalar multiplication by elements of the ring that satisfy certain axioms. Examples of modules include vector spaces, free modules, rings as modules over themselves, and quotient rings. The document also defines submodules, quotient modules, and module homomorphisms. Finally, it relates module structures to group actions, stating that Z[G]-module structures on an abelian group M correspond to actions of G on M by group automorphisms.

Uploaded by

Sohaib Naeem
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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1.

Modules

Covention: This semester all rings will be assumed to have 1.

Definition. Let R be a ring. A left R-module is a set M with two opera-


tions:
(1) binary operation + on M , that is a map + : M × M → M
(2) an action of R on M , that is, a map R × M → M
(r, m) 7→ rm
satisfying the following axioms:
M1: (M, +) is an abelian group
M2: (r + s)m = rm + sm for all r, s ∈ R and m ∈ M
M3: (rs)m = r(sm) for all r, s ∈ R and m ∈ M
M4: r(m + n) = rm + rn for all r ∈ R and m, n ∈ M
M5: 1 · m = m for all m ∈ M
Elements of R are often called scalars.

Remark: (1) Similarly one defines right R-modules, where the action is
denoted by (r, m) 7→ mr, and axioms M2-M5 are replaced by their “mirror”
images.
(2) If R is commutative, left R-modules = right R-modules
From now on by an R-module we will mean a left R-module.

1.1. Basic examples of modules.


1. Assume that R is a field. Then R-modules = vector spaces over R
2. Let R be any ring and n ∈ N. Let Rn = {(r1 , . . . , rn ) : ri ∈ R}. Then Rn
is an R-module where
r(r1 , . . . , rn ) = (rr1 , . . . , rrn ).
Rn is called the standard free R-module of rank n.
3. Let R be any ring, S a subring of R with 1. Then R is an S-module with
action = left-multiplication.
In particular, any ring R is a module over itself.
4. Let R be any ring. I an ideal of R. Then R/I is an R-module where
r(a + I) = ra + I.

1
2

1.2. Modules over some special rings.


Modules over Z

Claim 1.1. Modules over Z = abelian groups.

“Proof ”. If M is a Z-module, then (M, +) is an abelian group by definition.


Conversely, if A is an abelian group, we can turn A into a Z-module by
setting




. . + a} if n > 0
|a + .{z
 n times

na = 0 if n = 0



 a + . . . + a if n < 0
 | {z }
−n times
Module axioms trivially holds.
There is no other way to make M a Z-module since for any n ∈ N and a ∈ A
we must have na = (1 . . + 1})a = |a + .{z
| + .{z . . + a} by M2 and M5; similarly
n times n times
we must have 0 · a = a and (−n) · a = −(na).
In other works, an action of Z on M is completely determined by addition
on M . 

Modules over F [x] where F is a field

Claim 1.2. Modules over F [x] = pairs (V, A) where V is a vector space
over F and A : V → V a linear transformation.

Sketch of the proof. (see [DF,pp. 340-341] for more details) Let V be an
F [x]-module. Then V can also be considered as an F -module = F -vector
space.
Define a mapping A : V → V by A(v) = xv. By module axioms A is a linear
transformation form V to V .
Conversely, given an F -vector space V and a linear transformation A : V →
V , we want to make V into F [x]-module such that xv = A(v) for all v ∈ V .
By module axioms we are forced to set
(x2 )v = x(xv) = A(xv) = A(A(v)) = A2 (v).
Similarly, xn v = An v for any n ∈ N, and finally for any p(x) ∈ F [x] we must
have p(x)v = (p(A))v, that is,
(cn xn + . . . + c0 )v = (cn An + . . . + c0 )(v) (∗ ∗ ∗)
Thus, once we decided how x acts on V , the action of any element of F [x]
has to be given by (***). We still have to verify that (***) indeed defines
an F [x]-module structure on V , but this verification is routine. 
3

1.3. Submodules, quotient modules and homomorphisms.

Definition. Let M be an R-module. A subset N of M is called an R-submodule


if
(1) N is a subgroup of (M, +)
(2) for any r ∈ R, n ∈ N we have rn ∈ N .

Example: Let R be a ring, M = R (with action by left multiplication). Then


submodules of R = left ideals of R.

Definition. If M is an R-module and N is a submodule of M , we can define


the quotient module M/N . As a set M/N is just the quotient group M/N ,
and R-action is given by
r(m + N ) = rm + N for all r ∈ R, m ∈ M.

Definition. If M and N are R-modules, a mapping ϕ : M → N is called a


homomorphism of R-modules (alternatively ϕ is an R-linear mapping) if
(1) ϕ is a homomorphism of abelian group
(2) ϕ(rm) = rϕ(m) for all r ∈ R, m ∈ M .

1.4. Modules and group actions.

Definition. Let G be a group. The integral group ring Z[G] is defined as


follows: as a set Z[G] is the collection of formal finite linear combinations of
elements of G with integral coefficients, that is,
X
Z[G] = ng g : ng ∈ Z and only finitely many ng are nonzero.
g∈G

Addition and multiplication on Z[G] are defined by setting


P P P
( g∈G ng g) + ( g∈G mg g) = g∈G (ng + mg )g and
P P P P
( g∈G ng g) · ( g∈G mg g) = g∈G lg g where lg = h∈G nh mh−1 g .
In other words, multiplication in Z[G] is obtained by first setting g · h to
be the product of g and h in G and then uniquely extending to arbitrary
elements of Z[G] by distributivity.

Theorem (HW#1, Problem 6). Let M be an abelian group. Show that there
is a natural bijection between Z[G]-module structures on M and actions of
G on M by group automorphisms (that is, actions of G on M such that
for any g ∈ G the map m 7→ gm is an automorphism of the abelian group
(M, +)).

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