Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2007 iii Paper 16 3 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
For an open subset , let and define the degree-preserving module mapUsing the prescribed fiber basis identifies its domain with the tensor product in the question. We prove that is an isomorphism, giving the Leray-Hirsch theorem in this setting.
First suppose is a trivializing patch. The cohomological Künneth theorem over a field identifies with the finite free graded -module on a homogeneous basis of . The required finiteness is supplied by the finite list spanning the fiber's total cohomology. Express the restrictions of the in this product basis. A coefficient multiplying a fiber basis element of degree belongs to ; thus no coefficient can increase fiber degree. The degree-zero blocks are invertible on every path component, because restriction at every point gives a basis. Their inverses are again degree-zero cohomology classes.
After inverting those blocks, the remaining change-of-basis map is , where strictly lowers fiber degree. There are only finitely many fiber degrees, so is nilpotent and is a finite sum. This proves the local basis criterion for Leray-Hirsch classes and therefore the isomorphism on every trivializing patch, without requiring the patch to be contractible.
Now use a finite trivializing open cover , supplied by compactness of . Induct on . Put and . The intersection is covered by the at most trivializing open sets , so the induction hypothesis applies to , and .
Take the direct sum of shifted Mayer–Vietoris sequences for the base and compare it with the sequence for . Restriction commutes with multiplication by each global cohomology class . The connecting homomorphism also commutes: multiply the cochain representatives on the right by the restriction of a global cocycle representing , and use . Consequently the maps form a morphism of exact sequences. The Five lemma makes an isomorphism, completing the finite-cover proof of the Leray-Hirsch theorem.
This is an additive graded module isomorphism. It does not assert that the fiber classes have the same multiplicative relations in the total space.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2007 iii Paper 6 2 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
For a commutative ring and a multiplicative subset containing , the universal property of localization specifies a pair with a unital ring homomorphism, such that every , , is a unit, and any unital ring homomorphism into a commutative ring that sends to units factors uniquely through . Thus there is a unique satisfying . The property determines the pair up to a unique compatible isomorphism.
For existence, take pairs and declareThe extra multiplier is essential when has zero divisors. This is an equivalence relation: for transitivity, multiply the two cross-multiplication equations by appropriate denominators and add them, using the product of their annihilating multipliers. Write the class as and defineMultiplying the defining equivalence equations verifies that these operations are well defined. They give a commutative ring, and has inverse . The required map is necessarilyIt is well defined because applying to and cancelling the units equates the two images. Its addition and multiplication laws follow directly from the fraction formulas. This establishes existence and the universal property of localization. If , this construction gives the zero ring, which is allowed as a localization.
For a prime ideal , its complement is multiplicatively closed, and localization at a prime ideal means . The mapis well defined and surjective, with kernel of a ring homomorphism : a numerator has zero image exactly when it belongs to . Since is an integral domain, its field of fractions is a nonzero field, so is a proper maximal ideal. Every fraction with is a unit, with inverse . Every fraction with belongs to this proper ideal and cannot be a unit. Thus the nonunits are exactly , and every proper ideal lies within it. ConsequentlyNow suppose each is reduced. If is nilpotent, its image is nilpotent in every , hence is zero. If , its annihilator is a proper ideal, so choose a maximal ideal containing it. Maximal ideals in a commutative ring are prime ideals. The vanishing criterion in a module localization would give for some . But then , a contradiction. Hence is reduced. This is reducedness is detected by prime localizations; no finiteness hypothesis is needed.
The stronger local-domain condition does not force to be an integral domain. Take for a field . Its only prime ideals are and : a prime ideal must contain one of the orthogonal idempotents and , and the remaining quotient is the field . At , inverting kills the second component, so ; similarly . Both localizations are integral domains, butis a product of nonzero elements in . Therefore the answer is no, as illustrated by domain prime localizations do not imply a domain.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 101 2 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
The Weak Hilbert Nullstellensatz states that if is an algebraically closed field, every maximal ideal of isEquivalently, every proper ideal has a common zero. We prove the more general field statement, the Zariski lemma: a field finitely generated as a -algebra is a finite field extension of .
Write such a field as . Choose a maximal set of algebraically independent elements among these generators and denote the remaining generators by . Each is an algebraic element over , so is a finite field extension. Clearing the denominators in their monic equations, choose a nonzero such that each is an integral element overBecause is a field and , we have . Thus is an integral extension of .
A subring over which a field is integral must itself be a field. Indeed, for , an integral equation for multiplied by expresses as an element of . But if , the ring is not a field: choose an irreducible polynomial which does not divide . There are infinitely many monic irreducible polynomials in , by the usual product-plus-one argument, whereas only finitely many can divide the nonzero . The prime ideal stays proper after inverting , so has no inverse in . Therefore , proving that is a finite field extension, and in particular an algebraic field extension.
Apply the Zariski lemma to the residue field of a maximal ideal. When is an algebraically closed field, this field is itself. The images of then give , proving the Weak Hilbert Nullstellensatz.
For the real Laurent polynomial ring, the same argument applies because it is the finitely generated algebraEvery residue field at a maximal ideal is consequently a finite field extension of , and so is or . Here we use the fundamental theorem of algebra, which makes the algebraic closure of of degree two. The images of must be nonzero since these elements are units. It follows that the answer iswith and defining the same maximal ideal. If both coordinates are real, evaluation has image ; otherwise its image is . Thus every displayed kernel is maximal, and the Zariski lemma shows that this list is exhaustive.
For explicit generating sets of an ideal, there are three cases. For real nonzero ,If and with ,If with and , thenThe last two quotients are ; the nonzero coordinate condition ensures that the Laurent inverses exist in them. There are no further coincidences in the classification: equal kernels induce an -isomorphism between the evaluation image fields. The only -automorphisms of are the identity and complex conjugation, so the two pairs must agree or be conjugate.
To prove the intersection assertion, fix a prime ideal and an element . The integral domain has nonzero image . Its localization of a ring is nonzero and still a finitely generated algebra over , so it has a maximal ideal . By the Zariski lemma, the field is finite over .
The image of in is a subring containing and is a finite-dimensional -vector space. It is an integral domain, hence a field: multiplication by any nonzero element is an injective linear map of a finite-dimensional vector space and therefore surjective. The kernel of is thus a maximal ideal which avoids , since is invertible in . Its inverse image in is a maximal ideal containing but avoiding . As this works for every ,This is the Jacobson ring property for this Laurent polynomial ring.
For a nonzero finitely generated module , its set of associated primes isHere is the annihilator of the element. The Laurent polynomial ring is a Noetherian ring, so the nonempty collection of annihilators of nonzero elements of has a maximal member, say . It is proper because .
If and , then andMaximality forces , hence . Thus is a prime ideal, proving . This argument in fact only needs that is Noetherian, not the finite generation of .
A proper ideal is -primary when its radical of an ideal is andEquivalently, and imply ; equivalently, every zero divisor of is nilpotent. These formulations distinguish the actual primary ideal property from the weaker assertion that there is only one minimal prime ideal.
For the final example, set and . ThenSince is an integral domain, is a prime ideal. Moreover and , so . Consequently is the unique minimal prime ideal over .
Nevertheless , while and no power of belongs to . For the first assertion, reduce modulo : the image of is in , and is not a multiple of because is a nonunit in this integral domain. For the second, , so for every . Thus is not a -primary ideal: a unique minimal prime does not imply primary. In , the nonzero class of is killed by , a zero divisor which is not nilpotent.
p-nilpotent group 2026-10-14
A finite group is p-nilpotent when it has a normal p-complement. This terminology is distinct from having a normal Sylow p-subgroup. A finite group is nilpotent exactly when it is p-nilpotent for every prime dividing its order.
The localization of a ring at the powers of is generated over by . The presentation follows from the universal property of localization: both sides universally receive a ring homomorphism from making invertible. This proof works with zero divisors and includes the zero ring when is nilpotent. In particular, a principal open subscheme of an affine scheme has an inclusion which is a morphism of finite type.
Unipotent 2026-10-14