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Partition a basis of a module $E$ into disjoint subsets $E^{\prime },E^{\prime \prime }$. Splitting the finite expression of each element gives $M=⟨E^{\prime }⟩+⟨E^{\prime \prime }⟩$. An element in both generated submodules would give, by subtraction, a relation among the disjoint parts of $E$; linear independence in a module forces every coefficient to vanish. The intersection is zero, proving the direct sum of modules decomposition. Each part is itself a basis of a module for the submodule it generates.

For an element $m={\sum }_{e\in E}{r}_{e}e$ of a free module with specified basis of a module $E$, its coordinate support is the finite set of basis of a module elements having nonzero coefficients. This is well-defined by uniqueness of the expression. The coordinate support of a sum is contained in the union of the two coordinate supports, and scalar multiplication cannot enlarge it. It is distinct from the prime-ideal-valued support of a module.

A submodule $N$ of a free module with basis of a module $E$, generated by a countable set, is contained in the submodule generated by some countable subset $E^{\prime }\subseteq E$. Take $E^{\prime }$ to be the union of the finite coordinate supports in a free module of a countable generating family for $N$. This union is countable, and every generator belongs to $⟨E^{\prime }⟩$, which proves the inclusion. Combining this with basis partition gives a module direct sum places $N$ inside a countably generated direct summand.

A free module is a module with a basis of a module $(e_i{)}_{i\in I}$: every element has exactly one expression $m={\sum }_{i\in I}{r}_i{e}_i$ with $r_i\in R$ and only finitely many $r_i$ nonzero. Equivalently, the coefficient map ${⨁}_{i\in I}R\to M$ is a module isomorphism. Existence means generation; uniqueness means linear independence in a module. For finite $I$ of size $n$, this says $M\cong R^n$, a finite free module. See Neil Strickland's Rings, Modules and Linear Algebra, section 11.

The integer lattice ${\mathbb{Z}}^2$ in the opening diagram is a free module over $\mathbb{Z}$ with basis of a module $e_1=(1,0)$, $e_2=(0,1)$. For example, $(3,2)=3e_1+2e_2$, and comparing the two coordinates makes the coefficients unique. A different basis of a module is $u=(1,0)$, $v=(1,1)$, because $(a,b)=(a-b)u+bv$; in particular $(3,2)=u+2v$.

By contrast, $w_1=(2,0)$ and $w_2=(0,1)$ are linearly independent in a module, but generate only the submodule $2\mathbb{Z}\times \mathbb{Z}$. They miss $(1,0)$ because $2a=1$ has no integer solution. They would form a basis over the rational numbers. Even generation need not let one extract a basis of a module: the elements $2,3$ generate $\mathbb{Z}$, since $1=3-2$, but neither singleton generates it, and $3\cdot 2-2\cdot 3=0$ is a nontrivial linear relation between them. These are concrete failures of the usual vector space argument that divides by any nonzero coefficient.

The cyclic module $\mathbb{Z}/6\mathbb{Z}$ has no basis of a module over $\mathbb{Z}$: every element has the nontrivial relation $6m=0$, so no nonempty subset is linearly independent in a module, while the empty subset cannot generate this nonzero module. Specifying the scalar ring is essential: over $R=\mathbb{Z}/6\mathbb{Z}$, the same additive object is a free module with the one-element basis of a module $\{\overline{1}\}$, since each coefficient is itself a unique class in $R$.

For a free module $F$, a surjective module homomorphism $\varphi :P\to M$, and a module homomorphism $\psi :F\to M$, there is a module homomorphism $q:F\to P$ satisfying $\varphi q=\psi$. Choose a preimage under $\varphi$ of the image of each element of a basis of a module of $F$, and extend by linearity. Thus every free module is a projective module.

The module of integer sequences consists of all functions ${\mathbb{N}}_0\to \mathbb{Z}$, with pointwise addition and integer scalar multiplication. Its submodule of finitely supported sequences is the direct sum of modules ${⨁}_{j\ge 0}\mathbb{Z}$, a free module with coordinate basis of a module $(e_j)$. The full product is not a free module.

To prove this, suppose it had a basis of a module $E$. The countable basis support lemma places every finitely supported sequence in a submodule $C$ generated by a countable subset of $E$. The basis partition gives a module direct sum lemma supplies a projection $\pi$ onto its complementary direct summand, with kernel $C$. By countability of countably generated abelian groups, $C$ is countable. The Cantor diagonal argument makes the family of all sequences $w(j)=\pm 2^j$ uncountable, so choose one with $\pi (w)\ne 0$. Truncating $w$ before coordinate $i$ writes $w=f_i+2^i{g}_i$, where $f_i$ is finitely supported and $g_i$ is an integer sequence. Thus $\pi (w)=2^i\pi (g_i)$ for every $i$. The vanishing of infinitely divisible integer sequences forces $\pi (w)=0$, a contradiction.

Module theory studies abelian groups with scalar multiplication by a ring. It extends linear algebra: a module over a field is a vector space, while ring scalars let the same language describe integer arithmetic and linear operators. The new phenomena are visible before any abstract classification: some nonzero scalars cannot be divided out, some modules have torsion elements of a module, and some have no basis of a module.

The distinction is useful because an integer relation such as $6m=0$ carries information which disappears if one assumes all nonzero scalars have multiplicative inverses. A finitely generated module over a principal ideal domain can be separated into a finite free module and a torsion module; the structure theorem for finitely generated modules over a principal ideal domain unifies the classification of finitely generated abelian groups with the study of linear operators through polynomial rings. See Keith Conrad's Modules over a PID, Theorem 4.1 and the operator applications.

A historical anchor is Emmy Noether's 1921 paper ^[ref]. Its first section studies rings and ideals under the condition that every ideal is a finitely generated module over its ring, and connects this to the ascending chain condition; later sections develop primary decomposition. This is an early source for the structural viewpoint underlying Noetherian rings. ^[ref] makes those statements accessible in English.

For any commutative ring $A$ and a monic polynomial $F$ of positive degree $D$, monic polynomial division over a ring gives unique representatives of degree less than $D$. Thus the classes of $1,T,\dots ,T^{D-1}$ form a basis of a module over $A$. This is a finite free algebra, hence flat, and the map $A\to A[T]/(F)$ is injective. The monic hypothesis makes leading-degree arguments valid even when $A$ has zero divisors.

Let $x,y\in \mathbb{Q}$. Choose a positive integer $D$ clearing their denominators and write $x=m/D$, $y=n/D$ with $m,n\in \mathbb{Z}$. If $x$ and $y$ are not both zero, thenis a relation with integer coefficients not both zero. If both vanish, use $1\cdot x+0\cdot y=0$. Thus every pair is linearly dependent over $\mathbb{Z}$.

A submodule $M\subseteq \mathbb{Q}$ is a torsion-free module: if $kz=0$ for a nonzero integer $k$ and a rational number $z$, then $z=0$. If $M$ is also a finitely generated module, part (a), applied to the Euclidean domain $\mathbb{Z}$, makes it a free module. Its rank cannot exceed one, since two different members of a basis of a module would be linearly independent, contradicting the relation just proved. Since $M\ne 0$, its rank cannot be zero. ThereforeThe denominator-and-greatest common divisor construction in part (c) gives an explicit version of this result for a finitely generated subgroup of the rational additive group.

Using the common denominator $70$, the three given generators becomeThus their submodule is contained in $(1/70)\mathbb{Z}$. For the reverse inclusion, the following explicit integer linear combination supplies the missing generator:soTherefore $1/70$ belongs to the generated submodule, and all its integer multiples belong as well. We have established equality in both directions:Finally, $k/70=0$ for an integer $k$ forces $k=0$, so the single generator is linearly independent. Hence the required basis of a module is

Use the left $A$-module structure $c\cdot (a\otimes b)=ca\otimes b$ on the tensor product of associative algebras. Expanding each $b\in B$ in the basis $b_1,\dots ,b_m$ shows that every tensor can be writtenThus the displayed family generates the module.

For uniqueness, let ${\beta }_j:B\to k$ be the corresponding dual basis, with ${\beta }_j(b_i)={\delta }_{ij}$. Applying the linear map ${\mathrm{id}}_A\otimes {\beta }_j$ to a linear relation ${\sum }_i{a}_i\otimes b_i=0$ gives $a_j=0$. Hence the family is linearly independent in a module, andIn particular $1\otimes b_1,\dots ,1\otimes b_m$ is a basis of a module, with coefficients uniquely in $A$.

For a basis of a module $m_1,\dots ,m_d$ of the full-rank module $M$, define its discriminant of elements of a number field byThe field discriminant is this determinant for an integral basis of ${\mathcal{O}}_K$. A change of integral basis with determinant $\pm 1$ does not change it. Write $m_j={\sum }_i{b}_{ij}{e}_i$ in an integral basis and let $B=(b_{ij})$. The two trace matrices satisfy $T_M=B^{\mathsf{T}}{T}_{{\mathcal{O}}_K}B$. The index of the lattice is $r=|\det B|$, as follows for example from Smith normal form. ThereforeMultiplicative closure makes $M$ an order when it contains one, but the determinant argument itself requires only full finite index, so it also covers the stated module hypothesis without that extra condition.

Let $A=\mathbb{C}[x,y,z]$. This polynomial ring is a unique factorization domain of Krull dimension three. For a height-one prime in a unique factorization domain $\mathfrak{p}$, choose a nonzero element of it and an irreducible factor $q$ belonging to $\mathfrak{p}$. In a unique factorization domain, $q$ is prime, so $(q)$ is a nonzero prime ideal contained in $\mathfrak{p}$. Strict containment would give a chain $(0)⊊(q)⊊\mathfrak{p}$ of length two. ThusIf $\mathfrak{p}$ has height three, it is maximal: any strictly larger proper prime would extend a length-three chain and contradict $\dim A=3$. The Weak Hilbert Nullstellensatz over the algebraically closed field $\mathbb{C}$ then givesfor some $a,b,c\in \mathbb{C}$. This proves both requested generator assertions.

For the monomial curve with exponents three, four and five, putAll three map to zero under the given parametrization, so $J\subseteq I=\ker \phi$. Reduce any monomial using $y^2\mapsto xz$, $yz\mapsto x^3$ and $z^2\mapsto x^{2}y$. Each reduction decreases the sum of the exponents of $y,z$, so it terminates. Every polynomial has, modulo $J$, the formIts image is $A_0(t^3)+t^4{A}_1(t^3)+t^5{A}_2(t^3)$. These three terms occupy different exponent classes modulo three, so they cannot cancel. A zero image forces each $A_i=0$. ConsequentlyThe quotient is the domain $\mathbb{C}[t^3,t^4,t^5]$, hence $I$ is a prime ideal. It is finite free over $\mathbb{C}[t^3]$, with basis of a module $1,t^4,t^5$, by the same normal-form argument. Its dimension is therefore one, using that integral extensions preserve Krull dimension. The polynomial-ring height and dimension formula givesFor the generator obstruction, let $\mathfrak{m}=(x,y,z)$. Since $I\subseteq {\mathfrak{m}}^2$, we have $\mathfrak{m}I\subseteq {\mathfrak{m}}^3$. The degree-two initial forms of $g_1,g_2,g_3$ areThey are linearly independent over $\mathbb{C}$ in ${\mathfrak{m}}^2/{\mathfrak{m}}^3$. Thus no nonzero constant linear combination of the $g_i$ belongs to $\mathfrak{m}I$, and their classes are independent in $I/\mathfrak{m}I$. Since the three generators span that quotient,Two global generators would span it by two vectors, which is impossible. This is the initial-form lower bound for ideal generators; it shows why height two does not force two generators, even though height one and height three behave as above.

A subset $S\subseteq M$ freely generates $M$ when every $m\in M$ has a unique expressionwith $r_s\in R$ and only finitely many nonzero coefficients. Equivalently, $S$ is a basis of a module and $M$ is the free module on $S$.

If $S$ freely generates $M$ and $f:S\to N$ is any function, defineUnique coordinates make $\varphi$ well defined; it is an $R$-module homomorphism and is the only extension of $f$. Conversely, apply the proposed universal property to the free module $F=R^{(S)}$ and the inclusion of $S$ into $M$. It gives maps $F\to M$ and $M\to F$ extending the corresponding functions on $S$. Uniqueness makes both composites identity maps, so $M\cong F$ and $S$ freely generates $M$. This is the universal property of a free module.

Now let $T$ generate the free module $M$ and $|T|=m$. Choose a maximal ideal $\mathfrak{m}$ of the nontrivial ring $R$. Then $k=R/\mathfrak{m}$ is a field, andis a $k$-vector space. The images of a basis $S$ of $M$ form a vector-space basis, while the images of $T$ span it. ThereforeIn particular $S$ is finite. Applying this result in both directions to two finite bases shows that they have equal cardinality, the rank of a free module $\mathrm{rk}M$.

A Euclidean domain is a principal ideal domain. By the submodule theorem for free modules over a principal ideal domain, every submodule $N$ of the finite-rank free module $M$ is free. Since a basis of $M$ generates it, the preceding inequality applied in the standard proof gives

The primary decomposition theorem for finitely generated modules over a principal ideal domain states thatwhere $p$ ranges over finitely many nonassociate irreducibles and the positive exponents are uniquely determined up to order. Equivalently, the torsion part decomposes into its primary cyclic summands.

Let $H$ be a finite subgroup of the multiplicative group of a field. It is a finite abelian group, hence the theorem over $\mathbb{Z}$ gives an invariant-factor decompositionIts exponent is $d_r$, so every element of $H$ is a root of $X^{d_r}-1$. A degree-$d_r$ polynomial over a field has at most $d_r$ roots, whenceBut $d_r\le |H|$, and equality forces all earlier factors to be trivial. Thus

An $R$-module $M$ is Noetherian when every submodule is finitely generated, equivalently when every ascending chain of submodules stabilizes.

A free module is an $R$-module with a basis: every element has a unique expression as a finite linear combination of basis elements.

A flat module $M$ is one for which the tensor functor $-{\otimes }_{R}M$ is exact. Since tensor products are always right exact, it is equivalent to require that tensoring with $M$ preserve injections.

A projective module $P$ has the lifting property: for every surjection $E\twoheadrightarrow F$ and every map $P\to F$, there is a map $P\to E$ making the resulting triangle commute. Equivalently, $P$ is a direct summand of a free module.

Let $e_1,\dots ,e_n$ denote the standard basis of a module of the free module $R^n$. Since the module homomorphism $\varphi :R^m\to M$ is surjective, choose $v_j\in R^m$ such that $\varphi (v_j)=\psi (e_j)$ for each $j$. DefineUniqueness of coordinates in a basis of a module makes this well-defined, and the formula preserves addition and scalar multiplication, so $q$ is a module homomorphism. For every $x={\sum }_j{r}_j{e}_j$,Thus $\boxed{\varphi \circ q=\psi }$. This is the lifting property of a free module; only the surjectivity of $\varphi$ is needed for this part.

Assume $H=\ker \psi$ is a finitely generated module. The restriction $q:H\to L$ is a surjective module homomorphism, so part (a)(i) makes $L$ a finitely generated module.

The free module $R^m$ has its finite standard basis of a module. Its quotient module $R^m/\mathrm{Im}q$ is therefore a finitely generated module by part (a)(i). Part (c) transfers this property to the isomorphic quotient module $\ker \varphi /L$. Finally apply part (a)(ii) to the submodule $L\subseteq \ker \varphi$. It follows thatMore concretely, take the images under $q$ of finitely many generators of $H$, and adjoin lifts in $\ker \varphi$ of finitely many generators of $\ker \varphi /L$. This finite list generates $\ker \varphi$. The argument shows why finite presentation of a module is independent of the chosen finite generating set of a module.

Yes. An $\mathbb{F}$-module over a field is a vector space. Start with a finite generating list. If it is linearly dependent, one vector has a nonzero coefficient in a linear relation; dividing by that coefficient expresses the vector using the others, so it can be removed without changing the span. Repeating terminates with a linearly independent generating list, which is a basis and therefore a basis of a module.

Thus every finitely generated module over a field is a free module. For the zero module, the empty list is the required basis of a module.

A subset $E\subseteq M$ is a basis of a module if every $m\in M$ has a unique expressionUniqueness concerns the entire family of coefficients, including the zero coefficients. Equivalently, $E$ generates $M$ and is linearly independent in a module: every finite relation ${\sum }_{e\in H}{r}_{e}e=0$, with $H\subseteq E$, has all $r_e=0$.

A module is a free module if it has a basis of a module. An infinite basis of a module still uses only finite sums in each expression; arbitrary infinite sums are not part of the module operations.

Put $N=⟨E^{\prime }⟩$ and $P=⟨E^{\prime \prime }⟩$, the submodules generated by the two parts of the basis of a module. Every finite expression in the basis of a module splits into its $E^{\prime }$ terms and its $E^{\prime \prime }$ terms. Thus $M=N+P$.

If $m\in N\cap P$, there are finite expressionsSubtracting gives a finite relation among distinct members of $E$, because $E^{\prime }\cap E^{\prime \prime }=\varnothing$. Their linear independence in a module forces every coefficient to vanish, so $m=0$. HenceThis proves the basis partition gives a module direct sum lemma, also when one part is empty.