Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2023/iii/paper-101/1/c/solution

Suppose for a contradiction that . Compose the given injective module homomorphism with the standard injection that appends zero coordinates. This gives an injective endomorphism of the finite free module whose matrix has a zero final row.
Its characteristic polynomial has zero constant term, so the Cayley-Hamilton theorem gives
Injectivity lets us cancel . Repeating this argument eventually gives the identity endomorphism equal to zero. That would imply , contrary to . Hence . This proves the rank inequality for an injection of finite free modules.

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