Topics in Algebra Assignments 10/7

105201010
張誌麟
α β
Exercise 3.7. Given the diagram A B C of R-modules and R-morphisms,
show that there is an exact sequence

Ker α Ker(β ◦ α) Ker β B/ Im α C/ Im(β ◦ α) C/ Im β

Solution. Consider the diagram

r s
0 A A×B B 0
α t β

u v
0 B C ×B C 0

where
r(a) = (a, α(a)),
s(a, b) = α(a) − b,
t(a, b) = (β(α(a)), b),
u(b) = (β(b), b),
v(c, b) = c − β(b)
for every a ∈ A, b ∈ B and c ∈ C. It can be verified directly that the diagram is of R-
modules and R-morphisms, and that the two rows in the diagram are exact. To apply the
Snake Lemma, we need to check that the diagram commutes. But
t(r(a)) = t(a, α(a)) = (β(α(a)), α(a)) = u(α(a))
and

β(s(a, b)) = β(α(a) − b) = β(α(a)) − β(b) = v(β(α(a)), b) = v(t(a, b))

for every a ∈ A and b ∈ B. Then t ◦ r = u ◦ α and β ◦ s = v ◦ t, and so the diagram commutes.
By the Snake Lemma, there is an exact sequence in R-modules and R-morphisms

Ker α Ker t Ker β Coker α Coker t Coker β

To complete this proof, it remains to show that Ker t ∼

= Ker(β◦α) and Coker t ∼
= Coker(β◦α).
On the one hand, we have

Ker t = {(a, b) ∈ A × B | (β(α(a)), b) = (0, 0)}

= {(a, b) ∈ A × B | β(α(a)) = 0 and b = 0}
= {(a, b) ∈ A × B | a ∈ Ker(β ◦ α) and b = 0}
= Ker(β ◦ α) × {0}
∼
= Ker(β ◦ α).

On the other hand, since for every c ∈ C and b ∈ B,

(c, b) + Im t = (c′ , b′ ) + Im t ⇔ (c, b) − (c′ , b′ ) ∈ Im t

⇔ (c − c′ , b − b′ ) = (β(α(a)), b − b′ ) for some a ∈ A
⇔ c − c′ = β(α(a)) for some a ∈ A
⇔ c + Im(β ◦ α) = c′ + Im(β ◦ α),

there is a one-to-one correspondence between (C × B)/ Im t and C/ Im(β ◦ α) given by the

function (c, b) + Im t 7→ c + Im(β ◦ α), and the function is an R-module homomorphism
clearly. Hence Coker t ∼= Coker(β ◦ α).