Rings, Fields and Groups An Introduction to Abstract Algebra RB JT Allenby Senior Lecturer, School of Mathematics, University of Leeds Edward Arnold A division of Hodder & Stoughton LONDON NEW YORK MELBOURNE AUGKLANDFor Janet, Elizabeth and Rachel © 1991 R.B.I.T. Allenby First published in Great Britsin 1983, Reprinted with corrections 1945 and 1986 Reprinted 1988, 1989 ‘Second edition 1991, Distribute inthe USA by Routidge, Chapman and Hall, tne 29 West 3th Steet, New York, NY 10001 British Library Cataloguing Publication Dato Allenby. R.B. J.T Rings, fields and groups 1 Rings (Algebra) Qe2s1 ISBN 0.7131.38763 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced for wansmitied in any form or by any means. letoniclly oF mechanically. including photocopying. recording or any information ‘Sorage or rireval system, without ether prior permission in ‘wrtng from the publisher or a licence permting restricted copying. Inthe United Kingdom such icences ae ssued by the Copyright icessing Agency: 90 Tottenham Court Read, London WiP HE ‘Typeset in 10/12pt Times by MS Filmseting Limited, Frome, Somerset, Printed in Great Britain for Edward Arnold, a division of Hodder and Stoughton Limited, Mill Road, Dunton Green, Sevenoaks, Kent TNI3 2YA, by St Edmundsbury Press Lud, Bury St Edmunds, Sufotk and bound by Hartnols Lid, Bodmie, Cornwall Preface to the first edition ‘The overall aim of this book is to present a fairly leisurely introduction to some of the results, methods and ideas which are increasingly to be found in first and second year abstract algebra courses in British universities and polytechnics and in equivalent courses elsewhere. ‘There are several ways in which an author might present such an introduc- tion. One is the (to some) aesthetically most pleasing take-it-or-leave-it purely axiomatic approach in which the reader is given a list of the appropriate definitions and is then led through proofs of those theorems universally agreed by those already in the know to be basic to the subject. The guiding spirit, ‘behind such an approach would almost certainly force the author to begin with a long and rather dry axiomatic development of the set-theoretical language needed. Although the purity of this particular approach would probably be preferred by a majority of practising pure mathematicians who already have a degree of familiarity with the material, the present author has found that it is appreciated by only a handful in every class of fifty or so beginners. Many students become restless at such an approach as they find difficulty in connecting the discussion with ideas with which they are already familiar. The sudden change from the world of concrete examples usually found in school mathematics to the abstract setting seemingly remote from the real world is one which can lead some students away from abstract algebra in particular and pure mathematics in general, a state of affairs which naturally saddens the author who much enjoys sharing with his beginning students the Pleasure (even excitement! to be obtained from following through some of the lever ideas and neat arguments to be found there. A second approach, possibly more attractive to the beginner, would be to present a detailed historical account of the develolpment of algebra from, say, 1500 to the present day. To the student who is aware of some of the upheavals in school mathematics courses in recent years, the inclusion of an account of some of those theories which were once vigorously developed and were ‘expected to become important but have generally failed to find favour or application might prove especially interesting! However, such an approach Would leave, in a volume of reasonable size, little room for a really detailed ‘ccount of any of the theories reviewed. An intermediate course, and the one taken here, isto try to get fairly quickly into the spirit of abstract algebra, whilst at the same time interjecting Se eee eeeiv Preface or because, quite simply, the author thinks they are fascinating (or both!) In particular, several complete sections are included more as light reading than as essential material. Amongst these I include Sections 3.5, 3.9, 4.4, 5.2, 5.12.and 6.7. The present approach, therefore, is a mixture of the formal and the informal. The author has certainly found this mixture acceptable in courses he has given on both sides of the Atlantic. On the one hand we take an informal approach to set theory because our concern is with the algebra; on the other hand we do not want to throw all formal working to the wind, present day algebra being, asi is, an axiomatic discipline. Indeed, one of the chief aims of the book is to develop the reader’s critical faculties and we believe it preferable to begin this in Chapter I where, because of the student's (intuitive) familiarity ‘with much of its content, the critical approach seems all the more prominent. (See also the Problems posed at the end of the Prologue.) Here formal definitions are given when some readers might feel that informal ones would suffice. (See, for instance, the development of the idea of polynomial from Sections 1.6 to 1.8). Such readers should not need encouraging to read, carefully, the reasons put forward for preferring the more formal approach. We also use this chapter to try and answer, by example, a question often asked by beginners, namely ‘How much proof should I give?” The answer clearly depends upon the knowledge and maturity of the people trying to correspond. To help the reader through his frst encounter with several of the proofs the author has been more expansive than he would normally be in communicating ‘with a colleague. Those extra portions, which can be omitted as confidence grows and which to some extent are the answers to the questions the reader should be asking himself as he works through the text, have been put in square brackets. We begin with a prologue in which we attempt to answer some of the questions students seem afraid to ask: What is abstract algebra? How did it develop? What use is it? The historical account of the development of algebra, will include many words not familiar to the beginner, but we feel that in a new land it is preferable to possess a map, even one in a foreign language, than no ‘map at all. In placing this material before rather than after the main body of the text we hope to whet the reader's appetite and heighten his sense of excitement with a description of the discoveries and inventions made by some of the mathematical giants of the past and that this excitement will fire him sufficiently to read this book avidly even when (as it probably will) the going gets a bit difficult. ‘The numbering of Chapter 0 indicates that we view it asa preliminary to the text proper. Chapters I, 2, 3 and 4 concentrate on algebraic systems known as rings and fields (though these names are not formally introduced until Chapter 3) the concept of group not being mentioned until Chapter 5. A majority of texts on abstract algebra offer a study of the theory of groups before a study of, rings, the reason often given being that groups, having only one binary operation, are simpler to begin with than are rings and fields which have two. The author (a group theorist!) feels that there is a rather strong case for Preface v reversing this order; the fact is that natural concrete examples of rings and fields (the integers, polynomials, the rational, real and complex numbers) are much better known to the beginner than are the equivalent conerete examples of groups (mainly symmetries of 2- and 3-dimensional figures). (This author will just not accept the complaint “But the integers form a group under addition’: so they do but that is not the natural way to look at them. Indeed the author rebels strongly against the argument which, briefly, runs: ‘The integers under addition form a group. Therefore we must study group theory.”) What in the author's opinion really clinches the argument for studying rings and fields before groups are the several exciting applications that can quite quickly be made to easily stated yet non-trivial problems in the theory of numbers and of geometrical constructions. (See especially Sections 3.8 and 4.6) The placing of ring theory before group theory will, itis true, give rise to a little more repetition of corresponding elementary concepts than might have ‘been the case with the more usual presentation. The author does not, however, feel any need to apologise for that! (On the other hand Chapters 5 and 6 make little essential use of Chapters 3 and 4, so they can be studied directly after Chapter 2.) Throughout the text problems, numbered only for ease of reference, have been inserted as they have occurred to the author. Some are reasonably easy, some solved later in the text and some are quite hard. I leave you to find out which! The purpose of these problems is (i) to set you thinking and then discussing them with a colleague or teacher; (i) to get you into the habit of posing questions of this kind to yourself. Active participation is always much ‘more exciting (and instructional) than passive reading! In this book the numbering of theorems, lemmas, etc. in any one chapter is consecutive, thus: Theorem 5.5.4, Example 5.5.5, Notation 5.5.6, Definition 5.5.7. When referring to a theorem, lemma, etc. given elsewhere in the text usually only its number is given (e.g. 3.8.2). Reference to an exercise is however given in full (e.g. exercise 3.2.14) except when the exercise referred to is at the end of the section concerned. Thus, within Section 3.2, exercise 3.2.14 would be referred to as ‘exercise 14”. In producing this text I have received help from several people, especially from the secretaries in the School of Mathematics in the University of Leeds. In particular T should like to thank Mrs MM Turner, Mrs P Jowett, Mrs A Landford and Mrs M R Williams. Several colleagues in Leeds and elsewhere have offered helpful comments and gentle criticism on parts of the manuscript. Here I especially with to thank Drs J C McConnell, E W Wallace and J R Ravetz. For supplying me with photographs I thank the keeper of the David Eugene Smith collection at Columbia University, New York, and especially Prof Dr Konrad Jacobs of the University of ErlangenNiirnberg who kindly donated the pictures of Emmy Noether and Richard Dedekind. Leeds RBITA 1982