Chapter 1: Modules

In this Chapter, we assume that R is a ring with identity 1 6= 0.

EXERCISES.

2.1. (***) (1) Let A, B, C ≤ M = MR . Prove that A ⊆ B ∪ C ⇒ A ≤

B hay A ≤ C.
(2) Let give an example to show that there exist submodules A, B, C, D ≤
MR such that A ⊆ B ∪ C ∪ D but A 6≤ B and A 6≤ C and A 6≤ D.
2.2. (*) (1) Find all simple submodules (minimal ideals) of ZZZZ .
(2) Find all simple ZZ-modules, simple F [x]-modules, in which F is a
field.
2.3. (**) Let X be a non-emptyset subset and be a generating set of MR . Prove
that the following conditions are equivalent:
(1) X is a basis. Pn
(2) for every m ∈ M, it is represented uniquely by m = j=1 xj rj in
Pn Pn
which xj ∈ X, rj ∈ R, i.e., if m = j=1 xj rj = j=1 xj rj0 and xi 6= xj with
i 6= j(i, j = 1, ..., n) then rj = rj0 (j = 1, ..., n).
2.4. (*) Prove that
I ZZ isn’t finitely generated.
(1) Q
I ZZ .
(2) there is no maximal submodule of Q
I ZZ .
(3) there is no minimal (simple) submodule of Q
2.5. (**) Prove that the following conditions are equivalent for a right R-module
M
(1) MR is finitely generated.
(2) for every set of {Ai |i ∈ I} submodules Ai ≤ M such that
X
Ai = M
i∈I

there exists a finite subset {Ai |i ∈ I0 } (i.e., I0 ⊆ I and I0 is finite) such that
X
Ai = M.
i∈I0

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2.6. (*) Prove the modular law for subgroups of a given group G: With the
group operation written multiplicatively,

A(B ∩ C) = (AB) ∩ C

if A ⊆ C. Switching to additive notation, we have, for submodules of a given

R-module,
A + (B ∩ C) = (A + B) ∩ C,
again if A ≤ C.
2.7. (**) Show an example to prove that there exists a module that does not
have a basis.
2.8. (***) Prove that:
(1) a submodule of a cyclic module isn’t a cyclic module, in general.
(2) if M is a cyclic module over the ring of integers ZZ then every sub-
module of M is a cyclic module.
2.9. (***) Prove that:
(1) a submodule of a finitely generated module isn’t a finitely generated
module, in general.
(2) if N is a finitely generated submodule of a module M and the quotient
module M/N is also finitely generated then M is a finitely generated.
2.10. (*) If I is an ideal of the ring R, show how to make the quotient ring R/I
into a left R-module, and also show how to make R/I into a right R-module.
2.11. (**) This problem illustrates that familiar properties of vector spaces
need not hold for modules.
(1) Give an example of an R-module M with nonzero elements r ∈ R
and x ∈ M such that rx = 0.
(2) Let M be the additive group of rational numbers. Show that any
two elements of M are linearly dependent (over the integers ZZ).
(3) Show that M (in (2)) cannot have a basis, that is, a linearly inde-
pendent spanning set over ZZ.
2.12. (*) Show that every submodule of the quotient module M/N can be
expressed as (L + N )/N for some submodule L of M. The condition: must L
contain N ?
2.13. (**) (1) In the matrix ring Mn (R), let M be the submodule generated
by E11 , the matrix with 1 in row 1, column 1, and 0s elsewhere. Thus M =
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{AE11 : A ∈ Mn (R)}. Show that M consists of all matrices whose entries are
zero except perhaps in column 1.
(2) Show that the annihilator (see Exercise 1.2) of E11 consists of all
matrices whose first column is zero, but the annihilator of M is {0}.
2.14. (***) (1) If I is an ideal of the ring R, show that R/I is a cyclic R-module.
(2) Let M be an R-module, and let I be an ideal of R. We wish to make
M into an R/I-module via (r + I)m = rm, r ∈ R, m ∈ M. When will this be
legal?
(3) Assuming legality in (2), let M1 be the resulting R/I-module, and
note that as sets, M1 = M. Let N be a subset of M and consider the following
two statements:
(a) N is an R-submodule of M;
(b) N is an R/I-submodule of M1 .
Can one of these statements be true and the other false?