Homework 5

Problem 1


Show that CRC and CCC are not isomorphic as R-modules.

Note: Our notation is intentionally a bit sloppy here, since this is how you'll often see statements like this written. For clarity, we note that:

  • In the first tensor product, the copy of C on the right is the R-module (i.e., (R,Z)-bimodule) of complex numbers (i.e., the additive group of complex numbers along with scaling by real numbers), while the C on the left is (C,R)-bimodule of complex numbers. The resulting tensor product is therefore a (C,Z)-bimodule, which by "restriction of scalars" we can also view as an (R,Z)-bimodule, i.e., an R-module.
  • In the second tensor product, the copy of C on the right is the C-module (i.e., (C,Z)-bimodule) of complex numbers (i.e., the ring of complex numbers), while the C on the left is the ring of complex numbers with the standard (C,C)-bimodule structure. The resulting tensor product is therefore a (C,Z)-bimodule, which by "restriction of scalars" we can also view as an (R,Z)-bimodule, i.e., an R-module.
    Your argument will prove that the two constructions are also not isomorphic as C-modules.

Problem 2


Suppose D is an integral domain with quotient field[1] Q and M is a left D-module. Prove that every element of QDM can be written as a simple tensor of the form 1dm for some nonzero dD and mM.

Problem 3


Let {e1,e2} be a basis for R2 as an R-vector space. Show that the element e1e2+e2e1 in R2RR2 cannot be written as a simple tensor vw for any v,wR2.

Problem 4


Give an example to show that tensor product does not commute with direct products.

Problem 5


Suppose R and S are commutative rings (with unity). We can form their tensor product RS in the category of commutative rings as follows. First, as abelian groups (i.e., (Z,Z)-bimodule) we can form the tensor product RZS, which we simply denote RS. We can then define a multiplication in RS is "component-wise", i.e., (r1s1)(r2s2)=(r1r2)(s1s2). This operation gives RS the structure of a commutative ring (with unity 1R1S).

Define i1:RRS by rr1S, and i2:SRS by s1Rs.

  1. Verify i1 and i2 are ring morphisms.
  2. Show that the ring RS together with these ring morphisms is a coproduct of R and S in the category of commutative rings.

Problem 6


Show that for each (R,S)-bimodule M and (R,S)-bimodule N, the set HomS(M,N) of right S-module morphisms between M and N (viewed as right S-modules) has the structure of a (R,R)-bimodule.

Problem 7


Suppose R,S, and T are rings (with unity), M is an (R,S)-bimodule and N is an (S,T)-bimodule.

  1. Define functors F,G:(R,T)-BimodSet such that on objects
    F(P)=Hom(R,T)-Bimod(MSN,P)G(P)=Hom(R,S)-Bimod(M,HomMod-T(N,P)).
    In other words, what are the maps on arrows?

  2. For every (R,T)-bimodule P there is a set bijection
    τP:Hom(R,T)-Bimod(MSN,P)Hom(R,S)-Bimod(M,HomMod-T(N,P)).
    See these notes for the explicit description of the set map τP, as well as the verification that τP is a bijection. In short, for each (R,T)-bimodule morphism f:MSNP, τP(f) is the (R,S)-bimodule morphism τP(f):MHomMod-T(N,P) that assigns to each mM the right T-module morphism nf(mn).

    Show that these bijections τp define a natural transformation τ:FG. Since every τP is a bijection, we call τ a natural isomorphism between the functors F and G.


  1. "Quotient field" is another term for "field of fractions." ↩︎