Math 210B: Algebra, Homework 3

Ian Coley
January 29, 2014

Problem 1.
Let R = Z[X]. Show that the sequence of R-module homomorphisms
f h
0RRZ0

where f (g) = X g and h(g) = g(0) is exact. Does it split? Does it split as a sequence of
abelian groups? (We view Z as an R-module via X 1 = 0.)

Solution.
Let g R[X], and write g = ni=0 ai X i . Then f (g) = ni=0 ai X i+1 , so it has no constant
P P
term. Hence h(f (g)) = 0, so im f Pker h. Now, it is also evident that every polynomial
which satisfies g(0) = 0 is precisely Pni=0 ai 0i = a0 = 0 (where we use 00 = 1 to simplify
notation). Therefore if g ker h, g = ni=1 ai X i . Therefore we have
n1
! n1 n
X X X
f ai+1 X i = X ai+1 X i = ai X i = g,
i=0 i=0 i=1

so ker f im h. Hence ker f = im h so the sequence is exact at the middle term. Further, f
is injective since Z[X] is a domain, so left multiplication by any element is injective. Finally,
h is surjective since the constant polynomials g = a have g(0) = a for every a Z. Therefore
the sequence is exact.
The sequence is split over R. The requisite map q : Z R so that h q = 1Z . It is clear
that q(a) = f (ga ) + a for some ga R, since h(q(a)) = a implies that q(a) has constant term
a. Since we require

q(ab) = q(a)q(b) = f (ga )f (gb ) + b f (ga ) + a f (gb ) + ab

= b q(a) = b f (ga ) + ab,

we see that deg ga = 0 for every a Z so that deg q(a)q(b) = deg q(a). Therefore we have
q(a) = a, the constant polynomial. However X q(a) = aX 6= 0 = q(X a), so this sequence
cannot be split.
Additionally, the sequence is split as abelian groups, i.e. as Z-modules. Since Z is a free
Z-module, it is projective, so there exists a splitting q : Z R. Therefore the sequence is
split.

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Problem 2.
(a) Let I be an ideal of a ring R. Show that for every left R-module M , the factor group
M/IM has a natural structure of a left R/I-module (here IM is the subgroup in M
generated by xm for all x I and m M ). Show that if M is a free R-module, then
M/IM is a free R/I-module.
(b) Show that if the free modules Rn and Rm over a nonzero commutative ring R are
isomorphic, then n = m.

Solution.
(a) We see the action of R/I on M/IM by

(r + I) (m + IM ) = rm + IM.

The distributive laws hold since they do for M as an R-module. To see this is well
defined, suppose r + I = r0 + I, and r = r0 + i. Then

(r+I)(m+IM ) = (r0 +i+I)(m+IM ) = r0 m+im+IM = r0 m+IM = (r0 +I)(m+IM ).

Suppose that m + IM = m0 + IM and m = m + in. Then

(r + I) (m + IM ) = (r + I) (m0 + in + IM )
= rm0 + rin + IM = rm0 + IM = (r + I) (m0 + IM )

since ri I. Therefore the action of R/I on M/IM is well defined.

Now suppose M is a free R-module, thus M = Rn . Then by the reasoning in part (b),
M/IM = (R/I)n . Therefore M/IM is a free R/I module.
(b) Since R is commutative, there exists a maximal ideal m R. We have

mRn = {m(r1 , . . . , rn ) : m m, ri R} = mn

simply by taking the generators (0, . . . , 1, . . . , 0). We similarly have mRm = mm . Then
we claim that

: Rn /mn (R/m)n via (r1 , . . . , rn ) + mn 7 (r1 + m, . . . , rn + m).

This map is injective since ((r1 , . . . , rn ) + mn ) = (m, . . . , m) implies ri m for each i,

so that (r1 , . . . , rn ) + mn = mn . This map is surjective since

(r1 , . . . , rn ) + mn 1 (r1 + m, . . . , rn + m)

for every element in (R/m)n . We have a similar result for Rm /m

= (R/m)m . Let
F = R/m, which is a field. Then

Rn
= Rm = Rn /mn
= Rm
= mm F n = (R/m)n
= (R/m)m = F m .
Since F n , F m are vector spaces, in particular they are free R modules, and are isomor-
phic if and only if their bases have the same cardinality, i.e. n = m. This completes
the proof.

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Problem 3.
Prove that if every module over a domain R is free, then R is a field.

Solution.
Suppose that I R is a nonzero, proper ideal. Then R/I is a nontrivial R-module, which
by assumption is free. Then I annihilates R/I, which would make R/I a torsion module,
which is a contradiction since R is a domain. Therefore R has no nonzero, proper ideals, so
R is a field.

Problem 4.
(a) Show that a direct sum of projective modules is projective.

(b) Show that a direct product of injective modules is injective.

Solution.
(a) Recall that one characterisation of projective modules is the diagram

P
h g

M N 0
f

`
Then let P = P be a direct sum of projective modules. Then for each g : P N ,
there exists h making the
` above diagram
Q commute. Then supposeQwe have a map
g : P N . Since Hom(
P , N ) = Hom(P , N ), we have g = g . Therefore
Q
there is a unique h = h making the diagram commute. Therefore P is a projective
module.

(b) The proof is analogous to the above. We need the diagram

f
0 X Y

g
h
Q

Q . We use Hom(X, Q )
Q Q Q
to commute. Suppose that Q = = Hom(X, Q ).
Given injective modules Q and maps g : X Q
Q , there are unique lefts h : Y
QQ .
Therefore since a map g : X Q, we have g = g , so there is a unique lift h = h ,
so Q is an injective module.

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Problem 5.
Show that Q is not a projective Z-module.
Solution.
If Q were a projective Z-module, it would be a direct summand of a free Z-module F . Then
we have the projection map p : F Q and an inclusion map i : Q F such that p i = 1Q .
Then n
X
i(1) = aj ej
j=1

where ej are basis elements of F and aj Z. Let N = 1 + maxj=1,...,n |aj |. Then

n
X
i(1) = N i(1/N ) = aj ej ,
j=1

which implies that N | aj for all j. But since N > |aj | for all j, this implies aj = 0 for all j.
But this implies that
p(i(1)) = p(0) = 0 6= 1
which is a contradiction. Hence Q is not a projective Z-module.
Problem 6.
Find an example of a non-free module N M of a free module M over some ring R.
Solution.
Let R = Z[X] and let M = R. Then submodules of M are precisely ideals of R. Suppose
that a free submodule I R had a basis of more than two elements, and let a, b be those
elements. Then since b a + a b = 0, we have a nontrivial relation between basis elements,
which is a contradiction. Hence any free submodule of R must be cyclic, i.e. it must be a
principal ideal.
Now let N = (2, X). We claim that N is not principal, so that N cannot have a basis
and hence is not a free module. Suppose that N = (p) for p Z[X]. Then we would need
a p = 2 for some a Z[X]. Therefore since Z is a domain, we must have deg p = 0, i.e.
p Z. Since 2 is prime, we have p = 1 or 2. Clearly p = 1 is inappropriate since
(p) = M 6= N . Additionally, if p = 2, then we cannot obtain b 2 = X for any choice of
b Z[X]. Therefore N is not principal, and we are done.
Problem 7.
Prove that M N is a projective (resp. injective) R-module, then M and N are also
projective (resp. injective).
Solution.
Since M N is projective, there exists P 0 such that M N P 0
= Rn is a free module.
But then M (N P 0 )
= Rn and N (M P 0 ) = Rn , so M and N are projective too.
If M N is injective, then for every injective homomorphism f : X Y and map
g : X M N , there exists a unique lift h : Y M N . Then since M N has
projection maps pM and pN onto M and N , we have:

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 f
0 X Y

g
h
M N

pM , pN

M, N

which shows that M and N are injective too.

Problem 8.
Let a1 , . . . , an be elements of a commutative ring R generating the idealPR. Show that
the submodule M in Rn consisting of all n-tuples (x1 , . . . , xn ) such that ni=1 ai xi = 0 is
projective.
Solution.
Consider the map : Rn R given by (x1 , . . . , xn ) 7 ni=1 ai xi . Then M = ker , and
P
is surjective since the ai generate R. Hence by the first isomorphism theorem, R = Rn /M ,
i.e. Rn
= M R. Therefore M is a direct summand in a free module, so it is projective.
Problem 9.
Prove that every Z/6Z-module is projective and injective. Find a Z/4Z-module that is
neither projective nor injective.
Solution.
First, note that if every Z/6Z-module is projective, then every Z/6Z-module is injective. To
see this, we would like to show that for a module A and exact sequence
0 A B C 0,
it splits for any valid choices B and C. But since C is projective, it does split, so A is
injective. Therefore we would like to show that every Z/6Z-module is projective. From
the previous homework, we know that since Z/6Z = Z/2Z Z/3Z, every Z/6Z module is
expressible as a direct sum of Z/2Z and Z/3Z modules. Since Z/2Z and Z/3Z are fields,
every module over them is free, and a fortiori projective. By Problem 4(a), the direct sum
of projective modules if projective, so every module over Z/6Z is projective. Hence every
Z/6Z-module is injective and projective.
Now consider Z/2Z as a Z/4Z-module, where the action is given by left multiplication
modulo 2. Then we have an exact sequence
f g
0 Z/2Z Z/4Z Z/2Z 0
where f (0) = 0 and f (1) = 2 and g(0) = g(2) = 0 and g(1) = g(3) = 1. Then if Z/2Z were
either projective or injective, this sequence would be split. However, Z/4Z
6= Z/2Z Z/2Z.
Hence Z/2Z is neither projective nor injective as a Z/4Z-module.

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Problem 10.
Prove that the ideal I Z[ 5] generated by 2 and 1 + 5 is a projective R-module. Is
I a free module?

Solution.
Let R = Z[ 5] and let f : R2 I be given by (r, s) 7 2r + (1 + 5)s. Then we have a
short exact sequence
0 ker f R2 I 0.
We claim this sequence is split. Let j : I R2 be given by
 
1 5
j() = 2, .
2

1 5

This is only valid if 2
R for any I. Since we may represent = 2x+(1+ 5)y,
we have
1 5
(2x + (1 + 5)y) = (1 5)x 3y R.
2
So this is well defined. Then we see


 
1 5 1 5
7 2, 7 4 (1 + 5) = .
2 2

Thus the sequence splits, so I ker f = R2 , hence I is projective. But I is not principal,
so it cannot
be a free module. To see it is not principal, suppose that I = (). Then since
2, 1 + 5 I, we would need

N () | N (2) = 4, N () | N (1 + 5) = 6,

where N is the usual complex

norm. 2But this implies that N () = 2 (since N () = 1 is
2
nonsense). However N (a + b 5) = a + 5b , so N () = 2 is impossible. Therefore we are
done.