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Past exam of the algebra course of the University of Oxford 2007 A 3 Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-31
Each is an ideal because the algebra is commutative. For , the product belongs both to and , so is zero when . Multiplying by therefore gives . In particular , different have zero product, andFor any idempotent , the set is closed under multiplication and acts as its identity. With the map is an algebra isomorphism : multiplication is componentwise because , and its inverse sends to .
The -submodules of are exactly its ideals as a unital algebra, since acting by on is the same as acting by . A nonzero commutative unital algebra is a simple module over itself exactly when every nonzero principal ideal is the whole algebra, which is equivalent to every nonzero element having an inverse. Thus a nonzero component is simple exactly when it is a field. If , both properties fail under the nonzero-field convention.
A semisimple regular module is a finite direct sum of simple ideals. Applying the preceding decomposition gives a finite direct product of fields. Conversely the coordinate ideals of a finite product of fields are simple modules, so its regular module is semisimple. The fields are finite extensions of , because has finite -dimension.
For a generator of the cyclic group of order three, evaluation gives a surjection with kernel , by division and independence of . The factors and are coprime, and the quadratic is irreducible over . The Chinese remainder theorem yieldsThe explicit map sends to , where .
Past exam of the algebra course of the University of Oxford 2007 A 2 Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-31
A simple module is nonzero and has no submodules other than zero and itself. A semisimple module is a direct sum of simple submodules; the zero module is allowed as the empty sum.
For (1)(2), argue by dimension. Choose a minimal nonzero submodule , which is simple, and split using (1). The property passes to : for , write ; then . Apply induction to and append . The zero-dimensional case starts the induction. The implication (2)(3) is immediate. For (3)(2), repeatedly append a simple submodule not contained in the sum already chosen. Its intersection with that sum is zero by simplicity. Dimension strictly increases, so after finitely many steps their direct sum is .
For (2)(1), write and fix . Choose a sum of a maximal subset of these whose sum is disjoint from . If , some is not contained in , so simplicity gives . Then is a larger direct sum still disjoint from , a contradiction. Hence .
Condition (1) implies (1*). Conversely suppose (1*) and let be the sum of all simple submodules. If , finite dimension supplies a maximal proper submodule containing . By (1*), . Projection to the simple quotient identifies the nonzero complement with a simple module. Thus , contradicting the direct sum. Consequently , which is (3). This proves all four conditions are equivalent.
For the concrete complement, . Orthogonal idempotents and give : the sum follows from , and right multiplication by shows their intersection is zero. In explicit matrix form,The decomposition of uses second-column remainders in .
Past exam of the algebra and analysis II for mathematics and philosophy course of the University of Oxford 2013 6 d Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-31
It suffices to construct an injective holomorphic map for each domain. Then is a bounded entire function and is constant by Liouville's theorem; injectivity of forces to be constant.
For the upper half-plane, use the Cayley transform between the half-plane and diskIts denominator is nonzero there, and , so its image lies in the unit disk. The determinant is nonzero, hence it is injective and conformal.
On the plane slit along the nonnegative real axis, choose the branchThis is the holomorphic square root obtained from the corresponding logarithm branch. Its argument lies in , so it maps bijectively onto the upper half-plane, with inverse . Its derivative is . Thereforeis an injective conformal map of onto the unit disk.
For the complement of the closed interval, first useIts only finite pole is the excluded point one, and it is injective with derivative . If , solving gives , which is excluded. Hence , andis the required injective conformal map into the disk. More precisely, and , since . No claim that the interval complement is conformally equivalent to the whole disk is required.
Applying Liouville to the three bounded compositions givesThis illustrates Liouville rigidity from a bounded holomorphic embedding: an explicit injective bounded coordinate is enough.
Past exam of the algebra and analysis II for mathematics and philosophy course of the University of Oxford 2013 6 c Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-31
Liouville's theorem states that every bounded entire function is constant:For example, the Cauchy derivative estimate on a circle of radius gives . Letting gives everywhere, proving the conclusion.
Past exam of the algebra and analysis II for mathematics and philosophy course of the University of Oxford 2013 6 b Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-31
A Möbius transformation maps generalized circles to generalized circles on the Riemann sphere. A generalized circle is an ordinary circle or a straight line together with the point at infinity. Its image is a straight line precisely when it contains infinity, equivalently when the preimage of infinity lies on the extended real axis.
If , the pole is infinity itself and the transformation is the affine map , taking the extended real axis to a line. If , the pole is , which is real exactly when is real. Thus the full condition isEquivalently, it is , a condition also valid when . If it fails, the image misses infinity and is therefore an ordinary circle. The nonzero determinant ensures that none of these generalized circles collapses to a point.
Past exam of the algebra and analysis II for mathematics and philosophy course of the University of Oxford 2013 6 a Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-31
A conformal map preserves oriented angles between regular smooth curves through each point. For a holomorphic map with nonzero derivative, the derivative also describes the local scale and rotation.
Indeed, if two curves meet at and have nonzero tangent vectors , the real chain rule and complex differentiability giveBecause , the image tangents are nonzero andTaking arguments proves preservation of oriented angles. Multiplication by rotates every tangent by and scales every length by . Thus the hypothesis gives conformality at every point of ; global injectivity is not needed for this local conclusion.
Past exam of the algebra and analysis II for mathematics and philosophy course of the University of Oxford 2013 5 d Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-31
Periodicity reduces all the indicated vertical segments to the compact segment , which misses every pole. Continuity therefore gives the first uniform bound. In fact an explicit identity gives a stronger estimate for every real :Thus we can take .
Write . On the vertical sides of the square the same bound holds, since both real coordinates are half-integers. On either horizontal side . For , put , so . Usinggives . Conjugation gives the same estimate below the real axis. Hence an explicit bound valid on every square isFor , the contour has length and every point on it has . The reverse triangle inequality yields , so the ML inequality givesOrient the square positively. Its enclosed poles at the integers have residues . Since is nonintegral, the additional poles and are distinct from those integers and from one another. Their residues are and , both equal to because is odd. Their combined contribution is therefore .
The residue theorem givesThe series is absolutely convergent, since its terms are . Taking the limit, then including the term, yieldsThis is cotangent contour summation. Keeping the term separate until the last step determines the sign of the contribution.
Past exam of the algebra and analysis II for mathematics and philosophy course of the University of Oxford 2013 5 c Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-31
A subset , with its subspace topology, is compact when every open cover of has a finite subcover. The Heine-Borel theorem in the complex plane, identified with , saysClosedness is in the ambient complex plane. For a continuous real-valued function on a nonempty compact set, the supremum and infimum are finite and attained.
Past exam of the algebra and analysis II for mathematics and philosophy course of the University of Oxford 2013 5 b Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-31
The residue theorem states that if a function is holomorphic on and inside a positively oriented simple closed contour except at finitely many isolated singularities in its interior, thenNo singularity may lie on the contour. More generally, a closed contour has a winding-number-weighted sum of residues, provided it and its enclosed winding regions lie in the domain on which the isolated singularities are specified.
Past exam of the algebra and analysis II for mathematics and philosophy course of the University of Oxford 2013 5 a Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-31
For an isolated singularity at , write the Laurent expansion in a punctured disk as . Its residue isThe sine in the denominator has simple zeros precisely at the integers, and the numerator is nonzero there. Consequently has simple poles exactly at , withThere are no other finite singularities.
Past exam of the algebra and analysis II for mathematics and philosophy course of the University of Oxford 2013 4 e Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-31
It remains to cross the real axis. Fix a real point and a small disk about with closure in . Consider a triangle in a still smaller disk. Intersect its filled interior with the closed upper and lower half-planes and triangulate the resulting convex polygons. This gives finitely many triangles lying on one side of the real axis, possibly with edges on that axis. Degenerate pieces contribute zero.
For an upper piece, translate its three vertices by with . For sufficiently small the translated triangle lies entirely in and remains in , so its boundary integral is zero by Cauchy's theorem. Part (d), or its segment-integral proof, shows that the integral converges to that around the untranslated piece as . Thus the original piece has zero integral. Translate lower pieces by to obtain the same conclusion in .
When all the oriented triangle integrals are added, their internal edges cancel, including the segments on the real axis. The original triangle therefore has zero boundary integral. Continuity of on now allows Morera's theorem in the disk, proving holomorphicity near . Together with the two half-plane arguments this givesThis is a Morera gluing lemma across a straight line; the original continuity hypothesis is essential to the limiting step.
Past exam of the algebra and analysis II for mathematics and philosophy course of the University of Oxford 2013 4 d Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-31
For two moving vertices , the integral along their joining segment isThe integral factor is continuous in by the allowed fact, and the other factor is continuous because the vertices are continuous. Thus is continuous, including when its two endpoints coincide.
The integral around the triangle is exactlyEach term is continuous, so their sum is continuous at zero andNo holomorphicity is used here. Compactness of the fixed containing triangle also gives a direct proof of the allowed fact through uniform continuity of .
Past exam of the algebra and analysis II for mathematics and philosophy course of the University of Oxford 2013 4 c Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-31
Morera's theorem states that a continuous function on an open subset of is holomorphic if its integral around every triangular contour, with triangle and interior contained in that open set, is zero.
To prove this, work in any open disk whose closure lies in , and fix . Definewhere the segment lies in by convexity. The zero integral on the triangle with vertices givesContinuity at implies that the last integral tends to as : its difference from is bounded by . Therefore on . The function is holomorphic, and the allowed theorem that a holomorphic derivative is holomorphic implies that is holomorphic on .
Every point of lies in such a disk, proving the result throughout :The proof is local and does not require to be simply connected.
Past exam of the algebra and analysis II for mathematics and philosophy course of the University of Oxford 2013 4 b Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-31
Cauchy's integral theorem says that if is holomorphic on an open set and a closed, piecewise smooth contour is null-homotopic in , thenIn particular, this holds for every closed contour when is simply connected, and for a simple closed contour whose boundary and enclosed region lie in . For the later arguments it suffices to use the triangular version: the integral around a triangle is zero if the triangle and its interior lie in and is holomorphic there.
Both the holomorphicity condition and a suitable condition excluding holes inside the contour matter. Continuity alone, which is the starting hypothesis for this question, does not imply the theorem's conclusion; nor does holomorphicity on an arbitrary punctured open set imply zero integral around every loop.
Past exam of the algebra and analysis II for mathematics and philosophy course of the University of Oxford 2013 4 a Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-31
A function is holomorphic on an open set when it is complex differentiable at every point of that set. Explicitly, for every , the limitexists as a finite complex number. The limit is independent of the direction in which the complex increment approaches zero; existence of derivatives only along the real axis would not suffice.
Past exam of the algebra and analysis II for mathematics and philosophy course of the University of Oxford 2013 3 e Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-31
Factorization over givesFor , the factors and are coprime. The nonzero elements and multiply to zero, so the ring is neither an integral domain nor a field. Squaring coordinatewise shows it has no nonzero square-zero element.
For , the polynomial has no rational root and is irreducible of degree two over . The quotient is consequently a field, hence an integral domain, and has no nonzero square-zero element.
For , the class is nonzero by its degree, but . Thus this ring is neither an integral domain nor a field, and does have a nonzero square-zero element.No two are isomorphic. Being a field separates from the other two; existence of a nonzero square-zero element separates from . Both properties are preserved by ring isomorphisms.
Past exam of the algebra and analysis II for mathematics and philosophy course of the University of Oxford 2013 3 d Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-31
Because are nonconstant, their classes in are nonzero: each has smaller degree than , so neither is a multiple of . Their product is zero. Thus the quotient has zero divisors.
If both factors have degree one, each quotient by one factor is isomorphic to , by evaluation at its rational root. Coprimality ensures the two roots are distinct. Part (c) therefore identifies the ring with . If , then in a field, so .A ring may therefore have zero divisors without having nonzero nilpotent elements.
Pinned article: Introduction to the OurBigBook Project
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