LECTURE 14

Denition and Examples of Rings

Definition 14.1. A ring is a nonempty set R equipped with two operations ⊕ and ⊗ (more typically
denoted as addition and multiplication) that satisfy the following conditions. For all a, b, c ∈ R:

(1) If a ∈ R and b ∈ R, then a ⊕ b ∈ R.

(2) a ⊕ (b ⊕ c) = (a ⊕ b) ⊕ c
(3) a⊕b=b⊕a
(4) There is an element 0R in R such that

a ⊕ 0R = a , ∀a∈R 

(5) For each a ∈ R, the equation

a ⊕ x = 0R
has a solution in R.
(6) If a ∈ R, and b ∈ R, then ab ∈ R.
(7) a ⊗ (b ⊗ c) = (a ⊗ b) ⊗ c.
(8) a ⊗ (b ⊕ c) = (a ⊗ b) ⊕ (b ⊗ c)

Definition 14.2. A commutative ring is a ring R such that

(14.1) a⊗b=b⊗a , ∀ a, b ∈ R 

Definition 14.3. A ring with identity is a ring R that contains an element 1R such that

(14.2) a ⊗ 1R = 1R ⊗ a = a , ∀a∈R 

Let us continue with our discussion of examples of rings.

Example 1. Z, Q, R, and C are all commutative rings with identity.

Example 2. Let I denote an interval on the real line and let R denote the set of continuous functions
f : I → R. R can be given the structure of a commutative ring with identity by setting

[f ⊕ g](x) = f (x) + g(x)

[f ⊗ g](x) = f (x)g(x)
0R ≡ function with constant value 0
1R ≡ function with constant value 1

and then verifying that properties (1)-(10) hold.

Example 3.

Let R denote the set of continuous functions f : R → R such that

∫ ∞
f (x) dx < ∞
0

49
 14. DEFINITION AND EXAMPLES OF RINGS 50

We can dene f ⊕ g, f g, 0R just as in the previous example; however, we cannot dene a multiplicative
identity element in this case. This is because
∫ ∞
1dx = lim (x − 0) = ∞
0 x→∞

so the function 1R of the previous example does not belong to this set. Thus, the set of continuous functions
that are integrable on [0, ∞) form a commutative ring (without identity).

Example 4. Let E denote the set of even integers. E is a commutative ring, however, it lacks a multiplicative
identity element.

Example 5. The set O of odd integers is not a ring because it is not closed under addition.

Subrings

As the preceding example shows, a subset of a ring need not be a ring

Definition 14.4. Let S be a subset of the set of elements of a ring R. If under the notions of additions
and multiplication inherited from the ring R, S is a ring (i.e. S satises conditions 1-8 in the denition of
a ring), then we say S is a subring of R.
Theorem 14.5. Let S be a subset of a ring R. Then S is a subring if

(i) S is closed under addition.

(ii) S is closed under multiplication.
(iii) If s ∈ S, then −s ∈ R, the additive inverse of s as an element of R, is also in S.

Proof.

Since axioms 2, 3, 7, 8 hold for all elements of the original ring R they will also hold for any subset S ⊆ R.
Therefore, to verify that a given subset S is a subring of a ring R, one must show that

(1) S is closed under addition

– This is implied by condition (i) on S
(4) S is closed under multiplication;
– This is implied by (ii) on S
(5) 0R ∈ S and (6) When a ∈ S, the equation a + x = 0R has a solution in S.
• If (iii) is true, then the additive inverse −s ∈ R also belongs to S if s ∈ S. But then s + (−s) =
0R ∈ S, because by (i) S is closed under addition. But then OR + s = s for every s ∈ S, and so OR
is the additive identity for S (i.e. OS = OR ). So if (i) and (iii) are true, then S has an additive
identity and for S then for every s ∈ S we have a solution of s + x = 0S is S.

Example 6. Let M2 (Z), M2 (Q), M2 (R) and M2 (C) denote the sets of 2 × 2 matrices with entries, respec-
tively, in the integers Z, the rational numbers Q, the real numbers R, and the complex numbers C. Addition
and multiplication can be dened by
( ) ( ) ( )
a b e f a+b b+f
⊕ =
c d g h c+g d+h
( ) ( ) ( )
a b e f ae + bg af + bh
⊗ =
c d g h ce + dg cf + dh
with a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h in, respectively Z, Q, R, and C. The matrices
( )
0 0
0R =
0 0
( )
1 0
1R =
0 1
 14. DEFINITION AND EXAMPLES OF RINGS 51

are then, respectively, additive identity elements and multiplicative identity elements of R. Note however
that ( )( ) ( ) ( ) ( )( )
1 1 1 0 2 0 1 1 1 0 1 1
= 6= =
0 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1
so multiplication in R is not commutative in general. Thus, each of these sets is a non-commutative ring
with identity.

We have seen that some rings like Z or Zp with p prime have the property that
a ⊗ b = 0R ⇒ a = 0R orb = 0R ;
but that this is not a property we can expect in general. This property is important enough to merit a
special title.
Definition 14.6. An integral domain is a commutative ring R with identity 1R 6= 0R such that
(14.3) a ⊗ b = 0R ⇒ a = 0R or b = 0R 

Recall that the ring Zp when p is prime has the property that if a 6= [0], then the equation
ax = [1]
always has a solution in Zp . This not true for the ring Z; because for example, the solution of
2x = 1
1
is 2  Z. However, the ring Q of rational numbers does have this property.
∈
Definition 14.7. A division ring is a ring R with identity 1R 6= 0R such that for each a 6= 0R in R the
equations a ⊗ x = 1R and x ⊗ a = 1R have solutions in R.

Note that we do not require a division ring to be commutative.

Definition 14.8. A eld is a division ring with commutative multiplication.

For the most part we will be concentrating on elds rather than non-commutative division rings.

Example: Q, R, Zp with p prime.

Example:

In the ring M2 (C), let

( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
1 0 i 0 0 1 0 i
1= , i= , j= , k= 
0 1 0 −i −1 0 i 0
The set H of real quaterions consists of all matrices of the form
( )
a + ib c + di
a1 + bi + cj + dk =
−c + di a − bi
where a, b, c, d ∈ R. It is easy to verify that H is closed under the usual addition of matrices. Also

× 1 i j k
1 1 i j k
i i -1 k -j
j j -k -1 i
k k j -i -1
 14. DEFINITION AND EXAMPLES OF RINGS 52

Note that multiplication is not commutative in this ring; e.g., ij = k = −ji. It is possible to show
nevertheless that H is not only a ring with identity but a division ring.

Recall that the Cartesian product A × B of two sets A and B is the set of all ordered pairs (a, b) with a ∈ A
and b ∈ B.
Theorem 14.9. Let R and S be rings. Dene addition and multiplication on R × S by
(r, s) + (r, s) = (r + r, s + s) ,
(r, s)(r, s) = (rr, ss) 
Then R × S is a a ring. If R and S are both commutative, then so is R × S. If R and S each has an
identity, then so does R × S.

Proof. (homework problem)