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Viewing Version 13 of 'Boolean ring'
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Title of object: Boolean ring
Canonical Name: BooleanRing
Type: Definition

Created on: 2002-02-24 15:36:16
Modified on: 2004-03-17 05:13:32

Creator: yark
Modifier: yark
Author: yark
Author: drini

Classification: msc:06E99, msc:03G05

Revision comment (for changes between this and next version):

Remaining changes for correction #3306 ('Suggested example, connection to Boolean algebras').

Preamble:

\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\newcommand{\Z}{\mathbb{Z}}
\newcommand{\C}{\mathbb{C}}
\newcommand{\R}{\mathbb{R}}
\newcommand{\Q}{\mathbb{Q}}
Content:

\PMlinkescapeword{boolean}
\PMlinkescapephrase{boolean lattice}
\PMlinkescapeword{commutative}
\PMlinkescapeword{equivalent}
\PMlinkescapeword{isomorphic}
A Boolean ring is a ring $R$ that has a unit element,
and in which every element is
idempotent. In other words,
$$x^2=x\text{ for all }x\in R.$$
Boolean rings are necessarily \PMlinkname{commutative}{CommutativeRing}.
Boolean rings are equivalent to \PMlinkname{Boolean lattices}{BooleanLattice} (or Boolean algebras).
Given a Boolean ring $R$,
define $x \land y = xy$ and $x \lor y = x + y + xy$,
then $(R,\land,\lor)$ is a Boolean lattice.
Given a Boolean lattice $(L,\land,\lor)$,
define $x\cdot y = x \land y$ and $x + y = (x' \land y) \lor (x \land y')$,
then $(L,\cdot,+)$ is a Boolean ring.
In particular, the category of Boolean rings is isomorphic to the category of Boolean lattices.
\section*{Example}
Let $R$ be the ring $\Z_2\times\Z_2$ with the operations being coordinate-wise.
Then we can check:
\begin{eqnarray*}
(1,1)\times(1,1)&=&(1,1)\\
(1,0)\times(1,0)&=&(1,0)\\
(0,1)\times(0,1)&=&(0,1)\\
(0,0)\times(0,0)&=&(0,0)
\end{eqnarray*}
the four elements that form the ring are idempotent. So $R$ is Boolean.