- #1
Math Amateur
Gold Member
MHB
- 3,998
- 48
First, thanks to both Deveno and ThePerfectHacker for helping me to gain a basic understanding of tensor products of modules.
In a chat room discussion ThePerfectHacker suggested I show that \(\displaystyle {\mathbb{Z}}_a \otimes_\mathbb{Z} {\mathbb{Z}}_b \) where a and b are relatively prime integers - that is where a and b are such that (a,b) = 1 = ra + sb for some integers r,s.
I was aware of a solution to this exercise in Paul Garret's book Abstract Algebra - see Chapter 27 : Tensor Products, page 396 (see pages 395-396 attached) . However, I need help with Garrett's solution since I do not completely understand it ... so I am presenting his solution ... and my alternative solution ... I am hoping someone can indicate a correct solution ...
Note first that on page 395 in Section 27.3 First Examples (see attachment), Paul Garret writes:
" ... ... we emphasize that in \(\displaystyle M \otimes_R \text{ with } r,s \in R, m \in M \text{ and } n \in N \), we can always rearrange
\(\displaystyle (rm) \otimes n = r(m \otimes n) = m \otimes (rn) \) ... ... ... (1)
Also for \(\displaystyle r, s \in R \),
\(\displaystyle (r + s)(m \otimes n) = rm \otimes n + sm \otimes n \) ... ... ... (2)
... ... "
but how or why these relations are true, I have very little idea ... can someone please help me to see why these would hold given the basic structure of the tensor product?Now on page 396 (Example 27.3.2 - see attachment) Garret gives the solution to the following exercise:
Show \(\displaystyle {\mathbb{Z}}_a \otimes_\mathbb{Z} {\mathbb{Z}}_b \) where a and b are relatively prime integers - that is where a and b are such that (a,b) = 1 = ra + sb for some integers r,s.
Garrett proceeds as follows:
For \(\displaystyle m \in {\mathbb{Z}}_a \text{ and } n \in {\mathbb{Z}}_b \) we have the following:
\(\displaystyle m \otimes n \)
\(\displaystyle = 1 \cdot (m \otimes n) \)
\(\displaystyle (ra + sb)(m \otimes n) \)
\(\displaystyle ra(m \otimes n) + sb(m \otimes n) \) [here I think Garrett has a typo!]
Now at this point (correcting for the typo) Garrett seems to me to reason as follows:
\(\displaystyle ra(m \otimes n) = ar(m \otimes n) = a(rm \otimes n) \) by the commutativity of \(\displaystyle \mathbb{Z} \) and by (1) above.
Garrett then seems to reason as follows:
\(\displaystyle a(rm \otimes n) = a.0 = 0 \)
and also similarly
\(\displaystyle b(m \otimes sn) = b.0 = 0 \)
BUT why are \(\displaystyle (rm \otimes n) \) and \(\displaystyle (m \otimes sn) \) equal to zero? Can someone please help?
Now, since I did not understand Garrett's solution, I looked for another way to show what was required and proceeded as follows:
\(\displaystyle ra(m \otimes n) = r(am \otimes n) = r(0 \otimes n) \) since \(\displaystyle am = 0 \)
and then continue to reason that \(\displaystyle r(0 \otimes n) = r.0 = 0 \)
BUT ... I am really uncertain as to whether \(\displaystyle (0 \otimes n) = 0 \)
However, if I am correct then a similar chain of reasoning then proceeds and follows:
\(\displaystyle sb(m \otimes n) = s(m \otimes bn) = r(m \otimes 0) \) since \(\displaystyle bn = 0 \)
and so then \(\displaystyle ra(m \otimes n) + sb(m \otimes n) \) = 0 + 0 = 0
Can someone please clarify the above for me?
Peter
In a chat room discussion ThePerfectHacker suggested I show that \(\displaystyle {\mathbb{Z}}_a \otimes_\mathbb{Z} {\mathbb{Z}}_b \) where a and b are relatively prime integers - that is where a and b are such that (a,b) = 1 = ra + sb for some integers r,s.
I was aware of a solution to this exercise in Paul Garret's book Abstract Algebra - see Chapter 27 : Tensor Products, page 396 (see pages 395-396 attached) . However, I need help with Garrett's solution since I do not completely understand it ... so I am presenting his solution ... and my alternative solution ... I am hoping someone can indicate a correct solution ...
Note first that on page 395 in Section 27.3 First Examples (see attachment), Paul Garret writes:
" ... ... we emphasize that in \(\displaystyle M \otimes_R \text{ with } r,s \in R, m \in M \text{ and } n \in N \), we can always rearrange
\(\displaystyle (rm) \otimes n = r(m \otimes n) = m \otimes (rn) \) ... ... ... (1)
Also for \(\displaystyle r, s \in R \),
\(\displaystyle (r + s)(m \otimes n) = rm \otimes n + sm \otimes n \) ... ... ... (2)
... ... "
but how or why these relations are true, I have very little idea ... can someone please help me to see why these would hold given the basic structure of the tensor product?Now on page 396 (Example 27.3.2 - see attachment) Garret gives the solution to the following exercise:
Show \(\displaystyle {\mathbb{Z}}_a \otimes_\mathbb{Z} {\mathbb{Z}}_b \) where a and b are relatively prime integers - that is where a and b are such that (a,b) = 1 = ra + sb for some integers r,s.
Garrett proceeds as follows:
For \(\displaystyle m \in {\mathbb{Z}}_a \text{ and } n \in {\mathbb{Z}}_b \) we have the following:
\(\displaystyle m \otimes n \)
\(\displaystyle = 1 \cdot (m \otimes n) \)
\(\displaystyle (ra + sb)(m \otimes n) \)
\(\displaystyle ra(m \otimes n) + sb(m \otimes n) \) [here I think Garrett has a typo!]
Now at this point (correcting for the typo) Garrett seems to me to reason as follows:
\(\displaystyle ra(m \otimes n) = ar(m \otimes n) = a(rm \otimes n) \) by the commutativity of \(\displaystyle \mathbb{Z} \) and by (1) above.
Garrett then seems to reason as follows:
\(\displaystyle a(rm \otimes n) = a.0 = 0 \)
and also similarly
\(\displaystyle b(m \otimes sn) = b.0 = 0 \)
BUT why are \(\displaystyle (rm \otimes n) \) and \(\displaystyle (m \otimes sn) \) equal to zero? Can someone please help?
Now, since I did not understand Garrett's solution, I looked for another way to show what was required and proceeded as follows:
\(\displaystyle ra(m \otimes n) = r(am \otimes n) = r(0 \otimes n) \) since \(\displaystyle am = 0 \)
and then continue to reason that \(\displaystyle r(0 \otimes n) = r.0 = 0 \)
BUT ... I am really uncertain as to whether \(\displaystyle (0 \otimes n) = 0 \)
However, if I am correct then a similar chain of reasoning then proceeds and follows:
\(\displaystyle sb(m \otimes n) = s(m \otimes bn) = r(m \otimes 0) \) since \(\displaystyle bn = 0 \)
and so then \(\displaystyle ra(m \otimes n) + sb(m \otimes n) \) = 0 + 0 = 0
Can someone please clarify the above for me?
Peter
Last edited: