5 Groups, Rings, Fields[1ZD]

We review these definitions.

Definition 162

[1ZF](Solved on 2022-11-15) A group is a set \(G\) equipped with a binary operation \(*\), that associates an element \(a*b∈ G\) to each pair \(a,b∈ G\), respecting these properties.

  1. Associative property: for any given \(a, b, c∈ G\) we have \((a*b)*c=a*(b*c)\).

  2. Existence of the neutral element: an element denoted by \(e\) such that \(a*e=e*a=a\).

  3. Existence of the inverse: each element \(a∈ G\) is associated with an inverse element \(a'\), such that \( a*a'=a'*a=e\). The inverse of the element \(a\) is often denoted by \(a^{{-1}}\) (or \(-a\) if the group is commutative). 1

A group is said to be commutative (or abelian) if moreover \(a*b=b*a\) for each pair \(a,b∈ G\).

Definition 163

[1ZG](Solved on 2022-11-15) A ring is a set \(A\) with two binary operations

  • \(+\) (called sum or addition) and

  • \(⋅\) (called ”multiplication”, also indicated by the symbol \(×\) or \(*\), and often omitted),

such that

  • \(A\) \(+\) is a commutative group (usually the neutral element is denoted by \(0\));

  • the operation \(·\) has neutral element (usually the neutral element is indicated by \(1\)) and is associative;

  • multiplication distributes on addition, both on the left

    \[ a ⋅ (b + c) = (a · b) + (a · c) \quad ∀ a, b, c ∈ A \]

    and on the right

    \[ (b + c) · a = (b · a) + (c · a) \quad ∀ a, b, c ∈ A \]

A ring is called commutative if multiplication is commutative. (In which case the right or left distributions are equivalent.)

We assume that \(0≠ 1\) (otherwise \(\{ 0\} \) would be a ring).

Examples of commutative rings are: integer numbers \(ℤ\), polynomials \(A[x]\) with coefficients in a commutative ring \(A\).

An example of a non-commutative ring is given by matrixes \(ℝ^{n× n}\), with the usual operation of multiplication and addition.

Definition 164

[1ZH](Solved on 2022-11-15) A field \(F\) is a ring in which multiplication is commutative, and every element \(x∈ F\) with \(x≠ 0\) has an inverse \(x^{-1}\) for multiplication.

(So \(F⧵\{ 0\} \) is a commutative group for multiplication, see 6).

Some field examples are: rational numbers \(ℚ\), the real numbers \(ℝ\) and the complex numbers \(ℂ\).

Remark 165

[20R](Solved on 2022-11-15) Typically 2 you use the notations on the left instead of the writings on the right (where \(x,y,z\) are in the field and \(n\) is positive integer)

\(x-y\)

\(x+ (-y)\)

\(\frac{x} y\)

\(x ⋅ y^{-1}\)

\(x+y+z\)

\((x+y)+x\)

\(x y z\)

\((x⋅ y)⋅ z\)

\(n x\)

\(\underbrace{x+ \ldots +x}_{n~ \hbox{times}}\)

\(x^ n\)

\(\underbrace{x⋅ \ldots ⋅ x}_{n~ \hbox{times}}\)

\(x^{-n}\)

\((x^{-1}) ^ n\)

Precisely, \(n x\) means ”add \(x\) to itself \(n\) times”; the operation \(n↦ n⋅ x\) can be defined recursively setting \(0⋅ x=0\) and \((n+1)⋅ x= n⋅ x + x\). Similarly \(x^ n\) means ”multiply \(x\) by itself \(n\) times”: see the exercise 14.

Remark 166

[1ZW]Hurwitz’s theorem [ 39 ] asserts that if \(V\) is a field and is also a real vector space with a scalar product, then \(V=ℝ\) or \(V=ℂ\).

Definition 167

[1ZJ] An ordered ring \(F\) is a ring with a total order relation \(≤\) for which, for every \(x, y, z ∈ F\),

  • \(x ≤ y ⇒ x + z ≤ y + z\);

  • \(x, y ≥ 0 ⇒ x · y ≥ 0 \) .

Due to 6, if \(F\) is a field, in the second hypothesis we may equivalently write \(x, y {\gt} 0 ⇒ x · y {\gt} 0 \) . (Regarding the second hypothesis, see also 7) For further informations see the references in [ 32 ] . We will assume that in an ordered ring the multiplication is commutative.

Examples of ordered field are: rational numbers \(ℚ\) the real numbers \(ℝ\). The complex numbers \(ℂ\) do not allow an ordering satisfying the above properties (see exercise 12).

Definition 168

[1ZK]An ordered field \(F\) is archimedean if \(∀ x,y∈ F\) with \(x{\gt}0,y{\gt}0\) there is a \(n∈ℕ\) for which \(n x{\gt}y\). (See 165 for the definition of \(n x\)).

3
E168

[1ZM]The neutral element of a group is unique. Hidden solution: [UNACCESSIBLE UUID ’1ZN’]

E168

[1ZP] In a group, the inverse of an element is unique. Hidden solution: [UNACCESSIBLE UUID ’1ZQ’]

E168

[29C]Having fixed an element \(g\in G\) in a group, the left and right multiplications \(L_ g:G\to G\) and \(R_ g:G\to G\)

\[ L_ g(h) = g* h ~ ,~ R_ g(h) = h * g \]

are bijections.

E168

[1ZR]Prove 4 that in a group:

  1. If \(x + y= x + z\) then \(y= z\).

  2. If \(x + y= x\) then \(y=0\).

  3. If \(x + y=0\) then \(y= -x\).

  4. \(-(-x) = x\).

E168

[1ZS]Prove 5 that in a ring:

  1. \(0 · x = 0\)

  2. \((-x)y = -(xy) = x(-y)\).

  3. \((- x)(- y) = xy\).

  4. \((- 1)x = -x\).

Hidden solution: [UNACCESSIBLE UUID ’299’]

E168

[203] Consider the property

\[ \forall x,y\in A~ ,~ x\cdot y=0 \Rightarrow x=0\lor y=0 \]

this property may be false in a ring \(A\); if it holds in a specific ring, then this ring is said to be an integral domain [ 41 ] .

Show that a field \(F\) is always an integral domain. Consequently \(F⧵\{ 0\} \) is a commutative group for multiplication. Hidden solution: [UNACCESSIBLE UUID ’204’]

E168

[1ZT] Suppose that in a ring \(A\) there is a total ordering \(≤\) such that for every \(x, y, z ∈ A\) you have \(x ≤ y ⇒ x + z ≤ y + z\); then show that these are equivalent

  • \(x ≤ y \, ∧\, 0 ≤ z \quad ⇒\quad x · z ≤ y · z\);

  • \(x≥ 0∧ y ≥ 0 \quad ⇒\quad x · y ≥ 0 \) .

E168

[1ZV]Prerequisites:3,5,7. Prove 6 than in an ordered ring \(F\):

  1. for each \(x ∈ F, x^ 2 ≥ 0\) , in particular \(1 = 1^ 2{\gt}0\);

  2. \(x {\gt} 0 ⇒ -x {\lt} 0\)

  3. \(y {\gt} x ⇒ -y {\lt} -x \) ;

  4. \(x ≤ y \land a ≤ 0 ⇒ a · x ≥ a · y\) ;

  5. \(x \ge a \land y\ge b ⇒ x + y ≥ a + b\) ;

  6. \(x {\gt} a \land y\ge b ⇒ x + y {\gt} a + b\) ;

  7. \(x \ge a \ge 0 \land y\ge b\ge 0 ⇒ x · y ≥ a · b\) ;

Prove than in an ordered field \(F\):

  1. \(x {\gt} a {\gt} 0 \land y{\gt} b\ge 0 ⇒ x · y {\gt} a · b\) ;

  2. \(x {\gt} 0 ⇒ x ^{−1} {\gt} 0\) ;

  3. \(y {\gt} x {\gt} 0 ⇒ x ^{−1} {\gt} y ^{−1} {\gt} 0\) ;

  4. \(x · y {\gt} 0\) if and only if \(x\) and \(y\) agree on sign (i.e. either both > 0 or both < 0);

Hidden solution: [UNACCESSIBLE UUID ’29B’]

E168

[1ZX] In an ordered field \(F\) we call \(P = \{ x ∈ F : x ≥ 0\} \) the set of positive (or zero) numbers; it satisfies the following properties: 7

  • \(x, y ∈ P ⇒ x + y , x · y ∈ P \),

  • \(P ∩ (−P ) = \{ 0 \} \) and

  • \(P ∪ (−P ) = F \).

vice versa if in a field \(F\) we can find a set \(P⊆ F\) that satisfies them, then \(F\) is an ordered field by defining \(x ≤ y ⇔ y−x ∈ P\).

E168

[1ZY]Not all fields are infinite sets. Consider \(X=\{ 0,1\} \) and operations \(0+0=1+1=0\), \(0+1=1+0=1\), \(0⋅0=0⋅1=1⋅0=0\) and \(1⋅1=1\). Check that it is a field. Show that it cannot be an ordered field.

E168

[1ZZ]Consider the ring of matrixes \(ℝ^{2× 2}\) let’s define

\[ A={\begin{pmatrix} 0 & 1 \\ 1 & 0 \end{pmatrix} }\quad ,\quad B={\begin{pmatrix} 0 & 1 \\ 0 & 0 \end{pmatrix} }\quad , \]

then check that

\[ AB={\begin{pmatrix} 0 & 0 \\ 0 & 1 \end{pmatrix} } \quad ,\quad BA={\begin{pmatrix} 1 & 0 \\ 0 & 0 \end{pmatrix} }\quad ; \]

you conclude that the ring of matrixes is not commutative.

E168

[08V] Show that there is no ordering \(≤\) on \(ℂ\) such that \((ℂ,≤)\) is an ordered field. Hidden solution: [UNACCESSIBLE UUID ’20S’]

E168

[200] Let’s fix an integer \(N≥ 2\) that it is not a perfect square. Consider the subset \(F\) of \(ℝ\) given by the numbers \(x\) that can be written as \(x=a+b\sqrt N\), with \(a,b∈ℚ\); we associate the operations of \(ℝ\): show that \(F\) is a field. Hidden solution: [UNACCESSIBLE UUID ’201’]

E168

[202] Let \(F\) be a field; given \(𝛼≠ 0\) and \(h∈ℕ\) consider the recursive definition of exponentiation \(𝛼^ h\) defined from \(𝛼^ 0=1\) and \(𝛼^{(n+1)}= 𝛼^ n ⋅ 𝛼\); then prove that \(𝛼^{h+k}=𝛼^ h𝛼^ k\) and \((𝛼^ h)^ k=𝛼^{(hk)}\) for every \(k,h∈ℕ\).

E168

[20T]Prerequisites:14.Given \(𝛼≠ 0\) in a field, define that \(𝛼^ 0=1\) and let \(𝛼^{-n}\) be the multiplicative inverse of \(𝛼^ n\) when \(n≥ 1\) natural. (Use 14). For \(n,m∈ℤ\) show that

\[ 𝛼^{n}𝛼^ m=𝛼^{n+m}\quad ,\quad (𝛼^ h)^ k=𝛼^{(hk)}\quad ; \]

if the field is ordered and \(𝛼{\gt}1\) show that \(n↦ 𝛼^ n\) is strictly monotonic increasing.

E168

[205] Let \(F\) be a commutative ring, \(a,b∈ F\), \(n∈ℕ\) then

\[ (a+b)^{n}=∑ _{k=0}^{n}{n \choose k}a^{{n-k}}b^{k} \]

where the factor

\[ \binom n k {\stackrel{.}{=}}\frac{n!}{k!(n-k)!} \]

is called the ”binomial coefficient”. (This result is known as the binomial theorem, Newton’s formula, Newton’s binomial). To prove it by induction, check that

\[ {n+1 \choose k+1}={n \choose k+1}+{n \choose k} \]

for \(0≤ k,k+1≤ n\).

[UNACCESSIBLE UUID ’08W’]

  1. The notation \(a^{{-1}}\) is justified by the fact that the inverse element is unique: cf 2.
  2. Taken from 1.13 in [ 22 ]
  3. Parts of the following exercises are from Chap. 2 Sec. 2 in [ 2 ] , or Chap. 1 in [ 22 ] .
  4. [ 22 ] Prop. 1.14
  5. [ 22 ] Prop. 1.16
  6. From Cap. 2 Sec. 7 in [ 2 ] , or [ 22 ] Prop. 1.18
  7. From Chap. 2 Sect. 7 in [ 2 ]