Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ib Paper 3 10E b i Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Reduce coefficients modulo :This is a surjective ring homomorphism and its kernel consists exactly of polynomials all of whose coefficients lie in , namely . The first isomorphism theorem gives the coefficientwise quotient of a polynomial ringIf is prime, then is an integral domain, so is an integral domain. The quotient criterion therefore shows that is prime in .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 126 1 a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
For a ring homomorphism , the module of Kähler differentials is the -module generated by symbols , subject toEquivalently, it represents -linear derivations:For , the Transitivity exact sequence for Kähler differentials isIf is surjective, the Conormal exact sequence for Kähler differentials is
Let be a finite field extension. By the primitive element theorem, its maximal separable field extension is simple, and transitivity reduces the calculation to a simple algebraic extension. If with minimal polynomial , thenThus a separable simple extension has zero differentials. Conversely, if is not separable, the purely inseparable part has a generator whose minimal polynomial has zero formal derivative in positive characteristic, producing a nonzero differential. Hence
Now let . If , , and , then the minimal polynomial is and has zero derivative, soIf , where , , and , then . Both defining equations have zero derivative, and
- In (i), and relative to , so
- In (ii), and vanish relatively, whence
Past exam of the non-commutative rings course of the University of Oxford 2023 1 b Solution 2026-10-25
Assume , as is implicit in the claimed conclusion. Suppose that a surjective ring homomorphism exists. Choose mapping to the matrix units and . Applying to the assumed relation gives integers such thatBut and , so the right side is . Its entry is zero, whereas the entry of is . This contradiction proves that no such surjective ring homomorphism exists.
If the convention for rings allows to be the zero ring, that case must be excluded from the assertion: , and the zero ring homomorphism is surjective. This is a convention issue in the printed question.
Past exam of the non-commutative rings course of the University of Oxford 2023 1 c Solution 2026-10-25
Put . By the definition of a left-primitive ideal, there is a faithful module that is a simple module on the left over . The assumed relation passes to the quotient ring , since any pair of elements of can be lifted to .
By Schur's lemma, the endomorphism ring is a division ring: the kernel and image of a nonzero module endomorphism are submodules, so simplicity makes that module endomorphism both injective and surjective. SetEvaluation makes a right vector space over a division ring , and the -action is -linear. The opposite ring in the definition ensures the correct order for this right action.
The Jacobson density theorem says that, for any finite -linearly independent family and any , some satisfies for every .
Suppose that contains two -linearly independent vectors . Applying the Jacobson density theorem twice, choose satisfyingThe inherited relation giveswith integers . Acting on , the left side gives , but every term on the right gives . This contradicts . Thus .
The ring homomorphismgiven by the action is injective because is a faithful module. It is surjective because the Jacobson density theorem, applied to a single nonzero basis vector, realizes every -linear endomorphism of this one-dimensional vector space over a division ring. Every nonzero such endomorphism is invertible. HenceThe use of the Jacobson density theorem here only prescribes actions on finitely many vectors; it does not assume that an arbitrary primitive ring is already a full endomorphism ring.
Past exam of the non-commutative rings course of the University of Oxford 2023 2 c Solution 2026-10-25
View as a noncommutative formal power series ring, and let take the coefficient of the empty word. This is a ring homomorphism, since the empty word has only the factorization . In particular the two-sided ideal generated by lies in .
In fact . Every noncommutative formal power series with zero constant term can be partitioned according to the first letter of its words and writtenBoth summands belong to the two-sided ideal .
For , define the formal geometric seriesThis defines an element of : since has zero constant term, every word in has length at least . Thus the coefficient of a fixed word of length receives contributions only from , each a finite sum.
For each finite partial sum , associativity gives both identitiesIn every fixed word degree the last term vanishes once is large enough. It follows coefficient by coefficient that . HenceThe argument is formal and uses no analytic convergence. More generally, every noncommutative formal power series with a nonzero rational constant term is a unit, after factoring out that scalar. This is the unit criterion for noncommutative formal power series.
Past exam of the non-commutative rings course of the University of Oxford 2023 2 d Solution 2026-10-25
Take . We first check that this noncommutative formal power series ring is a noncommutative domain. For nonzero , let be the smallest lengths of words with nonzero coefficients in , respectively. Their degree- and degree- parts are nonzero homogeneous polynomials in the free associative algebra.
Choose words with nonzero coefficients in . In , the coefficient of is the product of those two coefficients: a word of length has a unique splitting into a prefix of length and a suffix of length . This product is nonzero in . The degree- part of is exactly , since all lower parts of and vanish. Thus , proving that is a noncommutative domain.
By the defining property of the free associative algebra, there is a ring homomorphismThe same substitution defines a ring automorphism of , with inverse , . Composing this ring automorphism with the natural inclusion proves that is injective.
Finally,Their constant terms are , respectively, all nonzero. By the unit criterion for noncommutative formal power series proved in c, all four elements are units. Therefore and have every required property. The embedding changes the images of the generators, so the failure of the original monomial left Ore set in b presents no obstruction.
The three answers, in the given order, are no, yes, yes.
For , consider the ideal . Its members have even constant coefficient, so and the ideal is proper. If , then divides the constant , forcing to be constant by additivity of polynomial degree in this integral domain. Since also divides , it must divide the coefficient , giving . That would make the whole ring, a contradiction. Thus is not a principal ideal domain, and part (a) shows it cannot be a Euclidean domain. This is the nonprincipal ideal generated by a prime and an indeterminate obstruction.
Evaluation at gives the ring isomorphismIndeed, division by the monic polynomial leaves a unique remainder , and its value is zero only when both integer coefficients vanish. Thus the quotient maps bijectively, with operations preserved, onto the Gaussian integers. These form a Euclidean domain for the Gaussian integer norm , a standard Euclidean example allowed in this part. Geometrically, rounding the real and imaginary coordinates gives a quotient error with squared modulus at most .
Finally,via . Every polynomial over occurs. The kernel consists exactly of polynomials whose -independent part has even coefficients: write to see that this is precisely . Hence the induced quotient map is a bijective ring homomorphism. Its target is a Euclidean domain with Euclidean function : a polynomial ring over a field is Euclidean by the division algorithm in part (a).
Past exam of the rings and modules course of the University of Oxford 2023 1 a iii Solution 2026-10-25
The element lies in the unit group and satisfies . Its order of a group element divides two and, by Lagrange's theorem, divides the odd number . Its order is therefore one, so and .
It follows thatis a well-defined unital ring homomorphism. For a nonzero ring, this says its characteristic of a ring is two. If the zero ring is permitted, the same map still exists. This is the odd unit group forces characteristic two argument, with that harmless exception to the characteristic wording.
Past exam of the rings and modules course of the University of Oxford 2023 1 a ii Solution 2026-10-25
Write , and let be the coordinate ring homomorphism. Set . Each is an ideal: it is an additive subgroup, and multiplying a lift in on either side by a tuple with prescribed th coordinate proves closure under left and right multiplication by .
Certainly . Conversely, let . For each , choose with th coordinate , and let have in coordinate and zero elsewhere. Since is an ideal, , andThereforeThe finite sum is essential to this proof of ideals of a finite product of rings.
Past exam of the rings and modules course of the University of Oxford 2023 1 c i Solution 2026-10-25
Choose a generator of the cyclic group , so . Part (a)(iii) gives a unital ring homomorphism . Its image lies in the centre of , so even if is not a commutative ring, evaluating a polynomial at defines a ring homomorphismBecause , it factors through the quotient ring to giveIts image is the subring . Every unit of is a unit of , because an inverse in also lies in . Conversely, every member of is for some , and both and its inverse lie in . HenceThe inverse argument matters: merely belonging to a subring would not by itself make an ambient unit invertible there.
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.
Pullback-direct-image adjunction unit 2026-10-06
For a morphism of ringed spaces, the pullback of a sheaf of modules is left adjoint to the direct image sheaf functor. The unit sends a local section to after inverse image. On the structure sheaf it becomes the given ring homomorphism .
Quotient of a finite product of fields 2026-10-25
A quotient ring of a finite direct product of rings whose factors are fields is a product of a subset of those factors. By ideals of a finite product of rings, write . Since a field has only the zero ideal and the whole field as ideals, every is one of these. The ring homomorphism is surjective with kernel of a ring homomorphism , so the first isomorphism theorem for rings gives . Discard the zero ring factors. If no factors survive, the result is the zero ring.
Coefficientwise reduction defines a ring homomorphismIt preserves sums, products, and divisibility. The Frobenius endomorphism gives .
Restriction of scalars 2026-10-06
For a ring homomorphism , an -module becomes an -module by the displayed action. Its underlying abelian group stays the same.
Ring automorphism 2026-10-06
A bijective ring endomorphism. Its inverse is again a ring homomorphism, so it preserves the ring structure in both directions.
Ring endomorphism 2026-10-06
A ring homomorphism from a ring to itself. Surjectivity need not imply injectivity in general, but a surjective ring endomorphism of a Noetherian ring is a ring automorphism.
Ring isomorphism 2026-09-24
A ring isomorphism is a bijective ring homomorphism. It preserves all ring operations and has a ring-homomorphic inverse.
A noncommutative formal power series over a field is a unit exactly when its constant term is nonzero. Necessity follows because the constant term is a ring homomorphism to the coefficient field. For sufficiency, write with and of zero constant term. The formal geometric series is well-defined because only can contribute to a word of length . Its left and right products with are , by the finite geometric-series identity in each fixed degree. Multiplying by gives the inverse of .