PlanetMath (more info)
 Math for the people, by the people.
Encyclopedia | Requests | Forums | Docs | Wiki | Random | RSS  
Login
create new user
name:
pass:
forget your password?
Main Menu
Owner confidence rating: Very high Entry average rating: No information on entry rating
[parent] sum of ideals (Definition)

Definition. Let's consider some set of ideals (left, right or two-sided) of a ring. The sum of ideals is the smallest ideal of the ring containing all those ideals. The sum of ideals is denoted by using “+” and “$ \sum$” as usually.

It is not difficult to be persuaded of the following:

  • The sum of a finite amount of ideals is
    $\displaystyle \mathfrak{a}_1+\mathfrak{a}_2+\cdots+\mathfrak{a}_k = \{a_1\!+\!a_2\!+\!\cdots\!+\!a_k\,\vdots \quad a_i \in \mathfrak{a}_i \,\,\forall i\}.$
  • The sum of any set of ideals consists of all finite sums $ \displaystyle\sum_j a_j$ where every $ a_j$ belongs to one $ \mathfrak{a}_j$ of those ideals.

Let $ \mathfrak{a}+\mathfrak{b} = \mathfrak{d}$ in a ring $ R$. Because $ \mathfrak{a} \subseteq \mathfrak{d}$ and $ \mathfrak{b} \subseteq \mathfrak{d}$, we can say that $ \mathfrak{d}$ is a factor or divisor of both $ \mathfrak{a}$ and $ \mathfrak{b}$.1 Moreover, $ \mathfrak{d}$ is contained in every common factor $ \mathfrak{c}$ of $ \mathfrak{a}$ and $ \mathfrak{b}$ by virtue of its minimality. Hence, $ \mathfrak{d}$ may be called the greatest common divisor of the ideals $ \mathfrak{a}$ and $ \mathfrak{b}$. The notations

$\displaystyle \mathfrak{a}+\mathfrak{b} = \gcd(\mathfrak{a}, \,\mathfrak{b}) = (\mathfrak{a}, \,\mathfrak{b})$
are used, too.

In an analogous way, the intersection of ideals may be designated as the least common multiple of the ideals.

The by “$ \subseteq$partially ordered set of all ideals of a ring forms a lattice, where the least upper bound of $ \mathfrak{a}$ and $ \mathfrak{b}$ is $ \mathfrak{a+b}$ and the greatest lower bound is $ \mathfrak{a\cap b}$. See also the example 3 in algebraic lattice.



Footnotes

....1
This may be motivated by the situation in $ \mathbb{Z}$: $ (n) \subseteq (m)$ iff $ m$ is a factor of $ n$.


"sum of ideals" is owned by pahio.
(view preamble)

View style:

See Also: quotient of ideals, product of ideals, least common multiple, two-generator property, submodule, algebraic lattice, lattice of ideals, maximal ideal is prime, any divisor is gcd of two principal divisors

Other names:  greatest common divisor of ideals
Also defines:  sum ideal, addition of ideals, factor of ideal, greatest common divisor of ideals, least common multiple of ideals

This object's parent.

Attachments:
multiplication ring (Definition) by PrimeFan
Log in to rate this entry.
(view current ratings)

Cross-references: algebraic lattice, greatest lower bound, least upper bound, lattice, partially ordered set, intersection, greatest common divisor, contained, iff, divisor, factor, finite, sum, right, ideals
There are 7 references to this entry.

This is version 16 of sum of ideals, born on 2004-09-29, modified 2008-04-16.
Object id is 6250, canonical name is SumOfIdeals.
Accessed 6712 times total.

Classification:
AMS MSC08A99 (General algebraic systems :: Algebraic structures :: Miscellaneous)
 16D25 (Associative rings and algebras :: Modules, bimodules and ideals :: Ideals)
 13C99 (Commutative rings and algebras :: Theory of modules and ideals :: Miscellaneous)

Pending Errata and Addenda
None.
[ View all 1 ]
Discussion
Style: Expand: Order:
forum policy

No messages.

Interact
post | correct | update request | add derivation | add example | add (any)