Algebra 9: Artinian rings and idempotents

Algebra 9: Artinian rings and idempotents

Definition 9.1. Consider a commutative algebra R with unity over a field k. One says that R is a
finitely generated Artinian ring over the field k if R is finite-dimensional as a vector space.

Exercise 9.1. Consider a linear operator A ∈ End V . Consider a subalgebra of End V generated
by k and A. Prove that this in an Artinian ring over k.

Definition 9.2. An element r ∈ R of an algebra (or ring) R is called nilpotent if rk = 0 for some
k ∈ N.

Exercise 9.2. Let r, r0 be nilpotent elements in an Artinian ring over a field. Prove that any linear
combination r, r0 is nilpotent.

Exercise 9.3. Let r, r0 be nilpotent elements in the algebra Mat(V ). Is r + r0 always nilpotent?

Remark. A nilpotent element in the matrix algebra is called a nilpotent operator.

Exercise 9.4. Let A ∈ End V be a nilpotent operator. Prove that there is a chain of subspaces
V ⊃ V1 ⊃ V2 ⊃ · · · ⊃ Vk = 0 in V such that A(Vi ) = Vi+1 .

Exercise 9.5 (!). Consider a nilpotent operator A ∈ End V . Prove that in some basis A has the
form:  
0 ∗ ∗ ... ∗ ∗ ∗
0
 0 ∗ . . . ∗ ∗ ∗ 
0
 0 0 . . . ∗ ∗ ∗ 
 .. .. .. . . .. .. .. 
. . . . . . .
 
0
 0 0 . . . 0 ∗ ∗ 
0 0 0 . . . 0 0 ∗
0 0 0 ... 0 0 0
(that is, an upper-triangular matrix with 0 on the diagonal). Prove that any matrix of this form is
nilpotent.

Hint. Use the previous problem.

Exercise 9.6 (!). Let A ∈ End V be nilpotent operator. Prove that tr(A) = det(A) = 0 and
ChpolyA (t) = tdim V .

Definition 9.3. Let R be a ring. A subset m ⊂ R is called an ideal if the following it has the
following properties:
(i) m is closed under addition (that is, the sum of two elements from m belongs to m)

(ii) For any m ∈ m, a ∈ R the product am belongs to R.

Exercise 9.7. Consider a homomorphism of rings R −→ R0 . Prove that the kernel of this homo-
morphism is an ideal.

Exercise 9.8. Consider a surjective homomorphism f : R1 → R2 of algebras over a field k and let
R1 be a field. Prove that either R2 = 0, or f is an isomorphism.

Exercise 9.9. Consider an ideal m ⊂ R. Consider the quotient R/m, that is the set of cosets of
the form r + m. Define on R/m the natural ring structure.

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 Algebra 9: Artinian rings and idempotents

Definition 9.4. A ring R/m is called a quotient ring of the ring R. An ideal is called prime,
if the corresponding quotient ring is non-zero and has no zero divisors. An ideal is called maximal
if, moreover, the quotient is a field.

Exercise 9.10. Prove that any prime ideal in an Artinian ring is maximal.

Exercise 9.11 (*). Describe all maximal ideals in the ring of polynomials k[t].

Exercise 9.12. Consider the set of all nilpotent elements in the ring R. Prove that it is an ideal.

Definition 9.5. This ideal is called the nilradical of the ring R.

Exercise 9.13 (!). Consider the quotient ring R/n of a ring by its nilradical. Prove that R/n has
no nilpotent elements.

Exercise 9.14. Consider an ideal in an Artinian ring that does not coincide with the whole ring.
Prove that it is contained in a maximal one.

Exercise 9.15 (*). Consider an ideal in a ring (not necessary Artinian) that does not coincide
with the whole ring. Prove that it is contained in a maximal one.

Hint. Use Zorn’s lemma.

Definition 9.6. An Artinian ring R is called semisimple, if it does not have non-zero nilpotents.

Definition 9.7. Consider a direct sum ⊕Ri with the natural (coordinate-wise) multiplication and
addition. The resulting algebra is called the direct sum of Ri and is denoted ⊕Ri too.

Exercise 9.16. Prove that the direct sum of semisimple Artinian rings in semisimple.

Exercise 9.17. Let v be an element of a finite-dimensional algebra R over k. Consider a subspace

R generated by 1, v, v 2 , v 3 , . . . (for all powers of v). Supposed this space has dimension n. Prove
that P (v) = 0 for some polynomial P = tn+1 + an tn + . . . with coefficients in k. Prove that this
polynomial is unique.

Definition 9.8. This polynomial is called the minimal polynomial of the element v and is
denoted Minpoly(v).

Exercise 9.18. Let v ∈ R be an element of an Artinian ring over k, and P (t) be its minimal
polynomial. Rv , v k. , Rv k[t]/P P .

Definition 9.9. Let v ∈ R be an element of an algebra R such that v 2 = v. Then v is called an

idempotent.

Exercise 9.19. Let e ∈ R be an idempotent in a ring. Prove that 1 − e is an idempotent too.

Prove that a product of idempotents is and idempotent.

Exercise 9.20. Let e ∈ R be an idempotent in a ring. Consider the space eR ⊂ R (the image of
the multiplication by e). Prove that eR is a subalgebra in R, that e is an identity in eR, and that
R = eR ⊕ (1 − e)R.

Exercise 9.21 (!). Let R = k(t)/P where P is a polynomial that decomposes into a product of
pairwise co-prime polynomials P = P1 P2 . . . Pn . Prove that R has m idempotents e1 , . . . , en ⊂ R,
and that ei R ∼
= k[t]/Pi .

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 Algebra 9: Artinian rings and idempotents

Hint. Find polynomials Q(t), Q0 (t) such that QP1 + Q0 P1 P3 . . . Pn = 1. Let e = Q0 P1 P3 . . . Pn .

Prove that e2 = e( mod P ), eP1 (t) = 0( mod P ). Deduce that k[z]/P1 (z) ∼ = eR, and the
isomorphism is given by z 7→ et.

Exercise 9.22. Let R be a semisimple Artinian ring without non-identity idempotents. Prove
that it is a field.

Hint. Let R be a field. Consider the subalgebra k(x) ⊂ R generated by a non-invertible element
x ∈ R, and apply the previous problem.

Definition 9.10. Two idempotents e1 , e2 ∈ R in a commutative algebra R are called orthogonal

if e1 e2 = 0.

Exercise 9.23. Let e1 , e2 , e3 ∈ R be idempotents in an Artinian ring R over a field k and let
e1 = e2 + e3 , let e2 and e3 be orthogonal. Prove that e2 , e3 ∈ e1 R and e1 R = e2 R ⊕ e3 R.

Exercise 9.24. Let char k 6= 2. Suppose that e1 , e2 , e3 be idepmotents in an Artinian ring R over
a ring k and e1 = e2 + e3 . Prove that e2 and e3 are orthogonal.

Definition 9.11. Let R be an Artinian ring over a field k. An idempotent e in R is called inde-
composable if there are no such non-zero orthogonal idempotents e2 , e3 such that e1 = e2 + e3 .

Exercise 9.25 (!). Let R be a semisimple Artinian ring and e be an indecomposable idempotent.
Prove that eR is a ring.

Exercise 9.26 (!). Let R be a semisimple Artinian ring over

P a field k. Prove that 1 decomposes
into a sum of indecomposable orthogonal idempotents: 1 = ei . Prove that this decomposition is
unique.

Hint. For existence take some idempotent e ∈ R and decompose R = eR ⊕ (1 − e)R then use
induction. For uniqueness, consider the product of two possible decompositions of 1.

Exercise 9.27 (!). Let R be a semisimple Artinian ring over a ring k. Prove that R is isomorphic
to a direct sum of fields.

Hint. Use the previous problem.

ψ
Exercise 9.28 (!). Let R1 −→ R2 be a surjective homomorphism of Artinian rings, moreover,
let R1 be semisimple and thus decomposed into a direct sum of fields over some set of indices I,
R1 = ⊕i∈I Ki . Prove that R2 = ⊕i∈I 0 Ki , where I 0 is some subset of I and ψ is the natural projection
(that is, ψ acts identically on Ki , i ∈ I 0 and is zero on Ki , i ∈
/ I 0 ).

Hint. Decompose 1 ∈ R1 into the sum of indecomposable idempotents ei , i ∈ I, prove that

f : ei R → f (ei )R2 is surjective for all i ∈ I, and apply Problem 9.8.

Exercise 9.29 (*). Let R = k[t]/P and the polynomial P has multiple roots over the algebraic
closure k. Can R be semisimple? Analyse the cases char k = 0, char k 6= 0.

Exercise 9.30 (*). Let R be a semisimple Artinian ring over a field k, and 1 = e1 + · · · + en be
the decomposition of 1 into the sum of indecomposable orthogonal idempotents. Prove that R has
exactly n prime ideals. Describe these ideals in terms of ei .

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 Algebra 9: Artinian rings and idempotents

Exercise 9.31 (*). Let R be an Artinian ring over a field k (of any characteristic). Prove that
the intersection of all simple ideals R is the nilradical of R.

Definition 9.12. Let R be an algebra over a field k, and g be a bilinear form on R. The form g
is called invariant, if g(x, yz) = g(xy, z) for any x, y, z.

Exercise 9.32. Let R be an Artinian ring endowed with a bilinear invariant form, and m be an
ideal in R. Prove that m⊥ is an ideal too.

Exercise 9.33 (*). Find an Artinian ring that does not admit a non-degenerate invariant bilinear
form.

Exercise 9.34 (!). Let R be an Artinian ring over a field k. Consider a the bilinear form
Lab
a, b −→ tr(ab), where tr(ab) is the trace of the endomorphism Lab ∈ End R, x 7→ abx. Prove that
if this form is non-degenerate then R is semisimple. Prove that if R is semisimple and char k = 0
then the form is non-degenerate.

Hint. One direction can be proved using the Problem 9.6. For the other direction consider first
the case when R is a field.

Exercise 9.35. Let V , V 0 be vector spaces over k endowed with bilinear forms g, g 0 . Define on
V ⊗ V 0 the bilinear form g ⊗ g 0 that would satisfy

g ⊗ g 0 (v ⊗ v 0 , w ⊗ w0 ) = g(v, w)g 0 (v 0 , w0 )

Prove that the bilinear form on V ⊗ V 0 is well-defined and unique.

Exercise 9.36. Let R, R0 be commutative algebras over k. Consider a tensor product R ⊗ R0 .

Endow R ⊗ R0 with a multiplicative structure such that v ⊗ v 0 · w ⊗ w = vw ⊗ v 0 w0 . Prove that the
ring structure on R ⊗ R0 is well-defined and unique.

Exercise 9.37. Describe the algebra C ⊗R C.

√ √
Exercise 9.38. Describe the algebra Q[ −1 ] ⊗Q Q[ −1 ].
and apply the problem

Exercise 9.39 (!). Let P (t) and Q(t) be polynomials over a field k. Denote K1 = k[t]/P (t) and
K2 = k[t]/Q(t). Prove that K1 ⊗ K2 ∼
= K1 [t]/Q(t) ∼
= K2 [t]/P (t).

Exercise 9.40 (*). Let R, R0 be Artinian rings over k, char k = 0. Denote the natural bilinear
forms a, b −→ tr(ab) on these rings by g, g 0 . Consider the tensor product R ⊗ R0 with the natural
structure of Artinian algebra. Consider the form g ⊗ g 0 on R ⊗ R0 . Prove that g ⊗ g 0 is equal to
the form a, b −→ tr(ab).

Exercise 9.41 (*). Prove that the tensor product of semisimple Artinian rings over a field k of
characteristic 0 is semisimple.

Hint. Use the Problem 9.34.

Exercise 9.42 (*). Find two fields K1 , K2 , algebraic over but not equal to Q, such that K1 ⊗Q K2
is also a field.

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 Algebra 9: Artinian rings and idempotents

Exercise 9.43 (*). Let P (t) ∈ Q[t] be a polynomial that does not have rational roots but has
exactly r real and 2s complex roots (that are non-real). Prove that
M M
(Q[t]/P ) ⊗Q R = C⊕ R.
s r

Exercise 9.44 (*). Let P (t) be an irreducible polynomial over Q that does not have real roots
and v ∈ Q[t]/P be an element that does not belong to Q ⊂ Q[t]/P . Prove that the minimal
polynomial of v does not have real roots.