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In
abstract algebra
In mathematics, more specifically algebra, abstract algebra or modern algebra is the study of algebraic structures, which are set (mathematics), sets with specific operation (mathematics), operations acting on their elements. Algebraic structur ...
, a decomposition of a module is a way to write a
module as a
direct sum of modules
In abstract algebra, the direct sum is a construction which combines several modules into a new, larger module. The direct sum of modules is the smallest module which contains the given modules as submodules with no "unnecessary" constraints, m ...
. A type of a decomposition is often used to define or
characterize modules: for example, a
semisimple module
In mathematics, especially in the area of abstract algebra known as module theory, a semisimple module or completely reducible module is a type of module that can be understood easily from its parts. A ring that is a semisimple module over itself ...
is a module that has a decomposition into
simple module In mathematics, specifically in ring theory, the simple modules over a ring ''R'' are the (left or right) modules over ''R'' that are non-zero and have no non-zero proper submodules. Equivalently, a module ''M'' is simple if and only if every ...
s. Given a
ring
(The) Ring(s) may refer to:
* Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry
* To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell
Arts, entertainment, and media Film and TV
* ''The Ring'' (franchise), a ...
, the types of decomposition of modules over the ring can also be used to define or characterize the ring: a ring is semisimple
if and only if
In logic and related fields such as mathematics and philosophy, "if and only if" (often shortened as "iff") is paraphrased by the biconditional, a logical connective between statements. The biconditional is true in two cases, where either bo ...
every module over it is a semisimple module.
An
indecomposable module In abstract algebra, a module is indecomposable if it is non-zero and cannot be written as a direct sum of two non-zero submodules.
Indecomposable is a weaker notion than simple module (which is also sometimes called irreducible module):
simple ...
is a module that is not a direct sum of two nonzero
submodule
In mathematics, a module is a generalization of the notion of vector space in which the field of scalars is replaced by a (not necessarily commutative) ring. The concept of a ''module'' also generalizes the notion of an abelian group, since t ...
s. Azumaya's theorem states that if a module has an decomposition into modules with
local
Local may refer to:
Geography and transportation
* Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand
* Local, Missouri, a community in the United States
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Local'' (comics), a limited series comic book by Bria ...
endomorphism ring
In mathematics, the endomorphisms of an abelian group ''X'' form a ring. This ring is called the endomorphism ring of ''X'', denoted by End(''X''); the set of all homomorphisms of ''X'' into itself. Addition of endomorphisms arises naturally in ...
s, then all decompositions into indecomposable modules are equivalent to each other; a special case of this, especially in
group theory
In abstract algebra, group theory studies the algebraic structures known as group (mathematics), groups.
The concept of a group is central to abstract algebra: other well-known algebraic structures, such as ring (mathematics), rings, field ( ...
, is known as the
Krull–Schmidt theorem.
A special case of a decomposition of a module is a decomposition of a ring: for example, a ring is semisimple if and only if it is a direct sum (in fact a
product) of
matrix ring
In abstract algebra, a matrix ring is a set of matrices with entries in a ring ''R'' that form a ring under matrix addition and matrix multiplication. The set of all matrices with entries in ''R'' is a matrix ring denoted M''n''(''R'') (alternat ...
s over
division ring
In algebra, a division ring, also called a skew field (or, occasionally, a sfield), is a nontrivial ring in which division by nonzero elements is defined. Specifically, it is a nontrivial ring in which every nonzero element has a multiplicativ ...
s (this observation is known as the
Artin–Wedderburn theorem).
Idempotents and decompositions
To give a direct sum decomposition of a module into submodules is the same as to give
orthogonal idempotents in the
endomorphism ring
In mathematics, the endomorphisms of an abelian group ''X'' form a ring. This ring is called the endomorphism ring of ''X'', denoted by End(''X''); the set of all homomorphisms of ''X'' into itself. Addition of endomorphisms arises naturally in ...
of the module that sum up to the
identity map
Graph of the identity function on the real numbers
In mathematics, an identity function, also called an identity relation, identity map or identity transformation, is a function that always returns the value that was used as its argument, unc ...
. Indeed, if
, then, for each
, the
linear
In mathematics, the term ''linear'' is used in two distinct senses for two different properties:
* linearity of a '' function'' (or '' mapping'');
* linearity of a '' polynomial''.
An example of a linear function is the function defined by f(x) ...
endomorphism
In mathematics, an endomorphism is a morphism from a mathematical object to itself. An endomorphism that is also an isomorphism is an automorphism. For example, an endomorphism of a vector space is a linear map , and an endomorphism of a g ...
given by the natural projection followed by the natural inclusion is an
idempotent
Idempotence (, ) is the property of certain operations in mathematics and computer science whereby they can be applied multiple times without changing the result beyond the initial application. The concept of idempotence arises in a number of pl ...
. They are clearly orthogonal to each other (
for
) and they sum up to the identity map:
:
as endomorphisms (here the summation is well-defined since it is a finite sum at each element of the module).
Conversely, each set of orthogonal idempotents
such that only finitely many
are nonzero for each
and
of
.
This fact already puts some constraints on a possible decomposition of a ring: given a ring
, suppose there is a decomposition
:
of
as a left module over itself, where
are left submodules; i.e., left
ideals. Each endomorphism
can be identified with a right multiplication by an element of ''R''; thus,
where
are idempotents of
. The summation of idempotent endomorphisms corresponds to the decomposition of the unity of ''R'':
, which is necessarily a finite sum; in particular,
must be a finite set.
For example, take
, the ring of ''n''-by-''n''
matrices
Matrix (: matrices or matrixes) or MATRIX may refer to:
Science and mathematics
* Matrix (mathematics), a rectangular array of numbers, symbols or expressions
* Matrix (logic), part of a formula in prenex normal form
* Matrix (biology), the ...
over a division ring ''D''. Then
is the direct sum of ''n'' copies of
, the columns; each column is a simple left ''R''-submodule or, in other words, a
minimal left ideal.
Let ''R'' be a ring. Suppose there is a (necessarily finite) decomposition of it as a left module over itself
:
into ''two-sided ideals''
of ''R''. As above,
for some orthogonal idempotents
such that
. Since
is an ideal,
and so
for
. Then, for each ''i'',
:
That is, the
are in the
center
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
*Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...
; i.e., they are
central idempotent
In ring theory, a branch of mathematics, an idempotent element or simply idempotent of a ring (mathematics), ring is an element such that . That is, the element is idempotent under the ring's multiplication. Mathematical induction, Inductively the ...
s. Clearly, the argument can be reversed and so there is a one-to-one correspondence between the direct sum decomposition into ideals and the orthogonal central idempotents summing up to the unity 1. Also, each
itself is a ring on its own right, the unity given by
, and, as a ring, ''R'' is the product ring
For example, again take
. This ring is a simple ring; in particular, it has no nontrivial decomposition into two-sided ideals.
Types of decomposition
There are several types of direct sum decompositions that have been studied:
*
Semisimple decomposition
In mathematics, specifically in representation theory, a semisimple representation (also called a completely reducible representation) is a linear representation of a group or an algebra that is a direct sum of simple representations (also called ...
: a direct sum of simple modules.
*Indecomposable decomposition: a direct sum of indecomposable modules.
*A decomposition with local endomorphism rings (cf.
#Azumaya's theorem): a direct sum of modules whose endomorphism rings are
local ring
In mathematics, more specifically in ring theory, local rings are certain rings that are comparatively simple, and serve to describe what is called "local behaviour", in the sense of functions defined on algebraic varieties or manifolds, or of ...
s (a ring is local if for each element ''x'', either ''x'' or 1 − ''x'' is a
unit
Unit may refer to:
General measurement
* Unit of measurement, a definite magnitude of a physical quantity, defined and adopted by convention or by law
**International System of Units (SI), modern form of the metric system
**English units, histo ...
).
*Serial decomposition: a direct sum of
uniserial module
In abstract algebra, a uniserial module ''M'' is a module (mathematics), module over a ring (mathematics), ring ''R'', whose submodules are total order, totally ordered by inclusion (set theory), inclusion. This means simply that for any two submo ...
s (a module is uniserial if the lattice of submodules is a finite chain).
Since a simple module is indecomposable, a semisimple decomposition is an indecomposable decomposition (but not conversely). If the endomorphism ring of a module is local, then, in particular, it cannot have a nontrivial idempotent: the module is indecomposable. Thus, a decomposition with local endomorphism rings is an indecomposable decomposition.
A direct summand is said to be ''maximal'' if it admits an indecomposable complement. A decomposition
is said to ''complement maximal direct summands'' if for each maximal direct summand ''L'' of ''M'', there exists a subset
such that
:
Two decompositions
are said to be ''equivalent'' if there is a
bijection
In mathematics, a bijection, bijective function, or one-to-one correspondence is a function between two sets such that each element of the second set (the codomain) is the image of exactly one element of the first set (the domain). Equival ...
such that for each
,
.
If a module admits an indecomposable decomposition complementing maximal direct summands, then any two indecomposable decompositions of the module are equivalent.
Azumaya's theorem
In the simplest form, Azumaya's theorem states: given a decomposition
such that the endomorphism ring of each
is
local
Local may refer to:
Geography and transportation
* Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand
* Local, Missouri, a community in the United States
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Local'' (comics), a limited series comic book by Bria ...
(so the decomposition is indecomposable), each indecomposable decomposition of ''M'' is equivalent to this given decomposition. The more precise version of the theorem states: still given such a decomposition, if
, then
# if nonzero, ''N'' contains an indecomposable direct summand,
# if
is indecomposable, the endomorphism ring of it is local and
is complemented by the given decomposition:
#:
and so
for some
,
# for each
, there exist direct summands
of
and
of
such that
.
The endomorphism ring of an indecomposable module of finite
length
Length is a measure of distance. In the International System of Quantities, length is a quantity with Dimension (physical quantity), dimension distance. In most systems of measurement a Base unit (measurement), base unit for length is chosen, ...
is local (e.g., by
Fitting's lemma In mathematics, the Fitting lemma – named after the mathematician Hans Fitting – is a basic statement in abstract algebra. Suppose ''M'' is a module over some ring. If ''M'' is indecomposable and has finite length, then every endomorphism of ...
) and thus Azumaya's theorem applies to the setup of the
Krull–Schmidt theorem. Indeed, if ''M'' is a module of finite length, then, by
induction on length, it has a finite indecomposable decomposition
, which is a decomposition with local endomorphism rings. Now, suppose we are given an indecomposable decomposition
. Then it must be equivalent to the first one: so
and
for some
permutation
In mathematics, a permutation of a set can mean one of two different things:
* an arrangement of its members in a sequence or linear order, or
* the act or process of changing the linear order of an ordered set.
An example of the first mean ...
of
. More precisely, since
is indecomposable,
for some
. Then, since
is indecomposable,
and so on; i.e., complements to each sum
can be taken to be direct sums of some
's.
Another application is the following statement (which is a key step in the
proof
Proof most often refers to:
* Proof (truth), argument or sufficient evidence for the truth of a proposition
* Alcohol proof, a measure of an alcoholic drink's strength
Proof may also refer to:
Mathematics and formal logic
* Formal proof, a co ...
of
Kaplansky's theorem on projective modules In abstract algebra, Kaplansky's theorem on projective modules, first proven by Irving Kaplansky, states that a projective module over a local ring is free; where a not-necessarily-commutative ring is called ''local'' if for each element ''x'', eit ...
):
*Given an element
, there exist a direct summand
of
and a subset
such that
and
.
To see this, choose a finite set
such that
. Then, writing
, by Azumaya's theorem,
with some direct summands
of
and then, by
modular law
In the branch of mathematics called order theory, a modular lattice is a lattice that satisfies the following self-dual condition,
;Modular law: implies
where are arbitrary elements in the lattice, ≤ is the partial order, and &nb ...
,
with
. Then, since
is a direct summand of
, we can write
and then
, which implies, since ''F'' is finite, that
for some ''J'' by a repeated application of Azumaya's theorem.
In the setup of Azumaya's theorem, if, in addition, each
is
countably generated, then there is the following refinement (due originally to Crawley–Jónsson and later to Warfield):
is
isomorphic
In mathematics, an isomorphism is a structure-preserving mapping or morphism between two structures of the same type that can be reversed by an inverse mapping. Two mathematical structures are isomorphic if an isomorphism exists between the ...
to
for some subset
.
(In a sense, this is an extension of Kaplansky's theorem and is proved by the two lemmas used in the proof of the theorem.) According to , it is not known whether the assumption "
countably generated" can be dropped; i.e., this refined version is true in general.
Decomposition of a ring
On the decomposition of a ring, the most basic but still important observation, known as the
Wedderburn-Artin theorem is this: given a ring ''R'', the following are equivalent:
# ''R'' is a
semisimple ring
In mathematics, especially in the area of abstract algebra known as module theory, a semisimple module or completely reducible module is a type of module that can be understood easily from its parts. A ring that is a semisimple module over itself ...
; i.e.,
is a semisimple left module.
#
for
division ring
In algebra, a division ring, also called a skew field (or, occasionally, a sfield), is a nontrivial ring in which division by nonzero elements is defined. Specifically, it is a nontrivial ring in which every nonzero element has a multiplicativ ...
s
, where
denotes the ring of ''n''-by-''n'' matrices with entries in
, and the positive
integer
An integer is the number zero (0), a positive natural number (1, 2, 3, ...), or the negation of a positive natural number (−1, −2, −3, ...). The negations or additive inverses of the positive natural numbers are referred to as negative in ...
s
, the division rings
, and the positive integers
are determined (the latter two up to permutation) by ''R''
# Every left module over ''R'' is semisimple.
To show 1.
2., first note that if
is semisimple then we have an isomorphism of left
-modules
where
are mutually non-isomorphic minimal left ideals. Then, with the view that endomorphisms act from the right,
:
where each
can be viewed as the matrix ring over
, which is a division ring by
Schur's Lemma
In mathematics, Schur's lemma is an elementary but extremely useful statement in representation theory of groups and algebras. In the group case it says that if ''M'' and ''N'' are two finite-dimensional irreducible representations
of a gro ...
. The converse holds because the decomposition of 2. is equivalent to a decomposition into minimal left ideals = simple left submodules. The equivalence 1.
3. holds because every module is a
quotient
In arithmetic, a quotient (from 'how many times', pronounced ) is a quantity produced by the division of two numbers. The quotient has widespread use throughout mathematics. It has two definitions: either the integer part of a division (in th ...
of a
free module
In mathematics, a free module is a module that has a ''basis'', that is, a generating set that is linearly independent. Every vector space is a free module, but, if the ring of the coefficients is not a division ring (not a field in the commu ...
, and a quotient of a semisimple module is semisimple.
See also
*
Pure-injective module
Notes
References
*
* Frank W. Anderson
Lectures on Non-Commutative Rings, University of Oregon, Fall, 2002.
*
*
* Y. Lam, Bass's work in ring theory and projective modules
R 1732042* {{cite book , last1=Procesi , first1=Claudio , author-link=Claudio Procesi , title=Lie groups : an approach through invariants and representations , date=2007 , publisher=Springer , location=New York , isbn=9780387260402
* R. Warfield: Exchange rings and decompositions of modules, Math. Annalen 199(1972), 31–36.
Module theory