Is the direct sum of isomorphic commutative rings always equal in size?

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In summary, a direct sum of commutative rings is a way of combining two or more rings into a new ring using the symbol ⊕. Two rings are isomorphic if they have a bijection between their elements that preserves addition and multiplication. Not all commutative rings are isomorphic, as it depends on the size and structure of the rings. The direct sum of isomorphic commutative rings is always equal in size, and the size is equal to the product of the sizes of the individual rings.
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Euge
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Here is this week's POTW:

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If $R$ is a nonzero commutative ring such that the direct sums $R^m$ and $R^n$ are isomorphic, show that $m = n$.

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No one answered this week’s problem. You can read my solution below.

Let $\mathfrak{m}$ be a maximal ideal of $R$, and consider the residue field $k := R/\mathfrak{m}$. If $f : R^m \to R^n$ is an isomorphism, then it induces an isomorphism $1 \otimes f : k \otimes_R R^m \to k \otimes_R R^n$. Now $k \otimes_R R^m$ and $k\otimes_R R^n$ are $k$-vector spaces of dimensions $m$ and $n$, respectively; since those vector spaces are isomorphic, $m = n$.
 

Related to Is the direct sum of isomorphic commutative rings always equal in size?

1. What is a direct sum of commutative rings?

A direct sum of commutative rings is a way of combining two or more rings to form a new ring. It is denoted by the symbol ⊕ and is defined as the set of all ordered pairs (a,b) where a is an element of the first ring and b is an element of the second ring. The operations of addition and multiplication are defined component-wise.

2. What does it mean for two rings to be isomorphic?

Two rings are isomorphic if there exists a bijection (a one-to-one and onto mapping) between their elements that preserves the operations of addition and multiplication. In simpler terms, isomorphic rings have the same algebraic structure and can be considered equivalent.

3. Are all commutative rings isomorphic to each other?

No, not all commutative rings are isomorphic to each other. Isomorphism between rings depends on a number of factors such as the number of elements, the structure of the ring, and the operations defined on it. Two rings can only be considered isomorphic if they have the same size and algebraic structure.

4. Is the direct sum of isomorphic commutative rings always equal in size?

Yes, the direct sum of isomorphic commutative rings is always equal in size. This is because isomorphic rings have the same number of elements and the direct sum is defined component-wise, meaning the resulting ring will also have the same number of elements.

5. How does the size of the direct sum of commutative rings relate to the size of the individual rings?

The size of the direct sum of commutative rings is equal to the product of the sizes of the individual rings. This is because the direct sum is defined as the set of all ordered pairs of elements from the individual rings, and the number of ordered pairs is equal to the product of the number of elements in each ring.

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