Math 418 Spring 2017

Homework 10

10.1.21. Claim: Let R be the ring of n × n matrices (n > 1) with entries in a field F ,
and let M be the set of n × n matrices in which all entries outside of the first column are
0. Then M is a submodule of the left R-module R, but is not a submodule of the right
R-module R.

Proof: First consider R as a left R-module. We apply the submodule test to M . First,
the zero matrix is in M so it is nonempty. Now let A ∈ R, X, Y ∈ M . Consider the matrix
X + AY . The entries of the ith column of AY are the dot products of the ith column of
Y with the rows of A. Let i > 1. The ith column of Y is 0, the entries of the ith column
of AY are 0. Therefore AY ∈ M . Now the entries of the ith column of X + AY are the
sums of the corresponding entries of X and AY . Therefore for i > 1, the entries of the ith
column of X + AY are 0. Therefore X + AY ∈ M . This proves that M is a submodule of
R.
Now consider R as a right R-module. Consider the element of M which has all 1s in the
first column and 0s everywhere else, call it W . Let A be the element of R which contains
1s in every entry. Then W A = A 6∈ M . Therefore M is not a submodule of R.

10.2.8. Claim: If φ : M → N is an R-module homomorphism, then φ(Tor(M )) ⊆ Tor(N ).

Proof: Supppose m ∈ Tor(M ). Let r ∈ R be nonzero with rm = 0. Then φ(rm) = 0.

Hence rφ(m) = 0. This implies that φ(m) ∈ Tor(N ).

10.2.9. Claim: If R is commutative, then Hom(R, M ) ∼

= M as left R-modules.

Proof: Define F : Hom(R, M ) → M to be the map that takes φ to φ(1) ∈ M . First, we

claim F is an R-module homomorphism. Let φ, ρ ∈ Hom(R, M ) and r ∈ R. Then

F (rφ − ρ) = (rφ − ρ)(1) = rφ(1) − ρ(1) = rF (φ) − F (ρ).

Hence F is an R-module homomorphism.

Now we check that F is injective. Suppose F (φ) = 0 for some φ ∈ Hom(R, M ). Then
φ(1) = 0. For any r ∈ R, φ(r) = rφ(1) = r · 0 = 0. Hence φ = 0. This shows F is injective.
Now suppose m ∈ M . Define a map φ : R → M by φ(r) = rm for any r ∈ R. Then let
r, s, t ∈ R. φ(rs − t) = (rs − t)m = r(sm) − tm = rφ(s) − φ(t). Hence φ ∈ Hom(R, M ).
Further, F (φ) = φ(1) = m. Therefore, F is surjective. Thus F is an isomorphism.

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10.3.13. Claim: Let R be a commutative ring and let F be a free R-module of finite rank.
Then HomR (F, R) ∼
= F as R-modules.

Proof: Let {x1 , x2 , . . . , xn } be a basis for F over R. Let f ∈ HomR (F, R). Consider
f (m) for arbitrary m ∈ F . We can write m uniquely as m = a1 x1 + a2 x2 + · · · + an xn
where ai ∈ R. Since f is an R-module homomorphism, f (m) = f (a1 x1 + a2 x2 + · · · +
an xn ) = a1 f (x1 ) + a2 f (x2 ) + · · · + an f (xn ). Therefore f is determined by the n choices
f (x1 ), f (x2 ), . . . , f (xn ) ∈ R. By Theorem 10.6, any choice of elements r1 , r2 , . . . , rn ∈ R
determines a unique R-module homomorphism f : F → R via f (xi ) = ri .
Define the map of sets φ : {x1 , x2 , . . . , xn } → HomR (F, R) as follows. Send xi to the
R-module homomorphism fi determined by the choice fi (xj ) = δij . That is, fi (xi ) = 1 and
fi (xj ) = 0 when i 6= j. By Theorem 10.6, this determines an R-module homomorphism
Φ : F → HomR (F, R). First, this homomorphism is surjective. If g ∈ HomR (F, R) is
the homomorphism sending xi to ri for some choice of ri ∈ R, then g = r1 f1 + r2 f2 +
· · · + rn fn = Φ(r1 x1 + r2 x2 + · · · + rn xn ). Finally, Φ is injective. If Φ(m) = 0 for some
m = a1 x1 + a2 x2 + · · · + an xn ∈ F , then Φ(m) = a1 f1 + a2 f2 + · · · + an fn = 0. Therefore,
for any xi , Φ(m)(xi ) = ai = 0. Therefore m = 0. This proves that Φ is an R-module
isomorphism between F and HomR (F, R).