MT1810 Exercise Sheet 10

1. Let R be a ring. Prove the following parts of Lemma 10.2.

(ii) The one element in R is unique. [Hint: suppose that u, u0 ∈ R are such that
ur = ru = u0 r = ru0 = r for all r ∈ R. Adapt the proof of Lemma 10.2(i).]
(vii) If x ∈ R then −(−x) = x.
(viii) If x, y ∈ R then −(xy) = (−x)y = x(−y).
(ix) If x, y ∈ R then (−x)(−y) = xy.
Bear in mind that −x means the element of R which satisfies −x + x = 0. Other
parts of Lemma 10.2 proved in lectures will be useful.

2. Let R be an integral domain. Let a, x, y ∈ R with a 6= 0.

Show that ax = ay implies x = y.
[Hint: add −ay to both sides of ax = ay. Make use of Lemma 10.2.]

3. Let R be a finite integral domain. So R is a finite commutative ring such that for
all x, y ∈ R, xy = 0 =⇒ x = 0 or y = 0.
Show that for each non-zero x ∈ R, the function fx : R → R defined by fx (y) = xy
is injective.
Hence show that R is a field. [Hint: An injective function from a finite set to itself
is surjective.]

4. (a) Multiply out the product (x2 + [1])(x2 + [2]x + [2])(x2 + x + [2]) in Z3 [x].
(b) List the nine monic quadratic polynomials in Z3 [x] (each coefficient is
either [0], [1] or [2]). How many roots does each polynomial have?

5. (a) The field F9 is defined as follows. The elements of F9 are expressions of

the form a+ib where a, b ∈ Z3 , and where i is a symbol with the property
that i2 = [2]. Addition and multiplication is defined just as for complex
numbers. [Note that −[1] = [2] in Z3 , so i2 = −[1] just as in C.] Write
out the addition and multiplication tables for F9 , and find the inverses of
all the non-zero elements in F9 .
(b) The ring R is defined as follows. The elements of R are expressions of the
form a + ib where a, b ∈ Z2 , and where i is a symbol with the property
that i2 = [1]. Addition and multiplication is defined just as for complex
numbers. [Note that −[1] = [1] in Z2 , so i2 = −[1] just as in C.] Write
out the addition and multiplication tables for R. Why is R not a field?
[The first part gives a field with 9 elements. Note that Z9 is not a field, so this is
a genuinely new example! The second part shows that the same construction does
not work to produce a field with 4 elements. However, it turns out that the rule
i2 = i + [1] works to produce a field.]
Brain teaser A group of people with assorted eye colors live on an island. They are all
perfect logicians – if a conclusion can be logically deduced, they will do it instantly. No one
knows the color of their eyes. Every night at midnight, a ferry stops at the island. Any
islanders who have figured out the color of their own eyes then leave the island, and the rest
stay. Everyone can see everyone else at all times and keeps a count of the number of people
they see with each eye color (excluding themselves), but they cannot otherwise communicate.
Everyone on the island knows all the rules in this paragraph.
On this island there are 100 blue-eyed people and 100 brown-eyed people. One day a
stranger comes to the island and says the following: “I can see someone who has blue eyes.”

Who leaves the island, and on what night?