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49 votes
14 answers
21k views

Applications of the Cayley-Hamilton theorem

The Cayley-Hamilton theorem is usually presented in standard undergraduate courses in linear algebra as an important result. Recall that it says that any square matrix is a "root" of its own ...
71 votes
11 answers
9k views

How to introduce notions of flat, projective and free modules?

In the coming spring semester I will be teaching for the first time an introductory (graduate) course in Commutative Algebra. As many people know, I have been plugging away for a while at this ...
Pete L. Clark's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
271 views

Elementary classification of division rings

Are there examples (other than the two mentioned below) of fields $K$ such that the classification of all finite dimensional division $K$-algebras is possible using only elementary theory (lets say a ...
Mare's user avatar
  • 26.5k
7 votes
3 answers
1k views

Higher dimensional Bezout via Hilbert polynomials: a reference

For the purposes of teaching my elementary course in algebraic geometry I am looking for a reference (or notes) that contains a complete proof of a higher-dimensional weak Bezout theorem. I only want ...
aglearner's user avatar
  • 14.3k
7 votes
5 answers
2k views

Commutative algebra final project

I'm looking for a topic for a final project in commutative/homological algebra, for first year master's students (in a decent European university). During the course, they will cover the following ...
0 votes
1 answer
2k views

Dual of Zorn's Lemma? [closed]

It seems to me that the dual of Zorn's Lemma should be true: if $S$ is a non-empty partially ordered set and every chain of $S$ has a lower bound in $S$, then $S$ has at least one minimal element. ...
Hannay's user avatar
  • 1