abstract algebra In mathematics, more specifically algebra, abstract algebra or modern algebra is the study of algebraic structures. Algebraic structures include groups, rings, fields, modules, vector spaces, lattices, and algebras over a field. The term ' ...

, a cover is one instance of some

mathematical structure In mathematics, a structure is a set endowed with some additional features on the set (e.g. an operation, relation, metric, or topology). Often, the additional features are attached or related to the set, so as to provide it with some additi ...

mapping

onto In mathematics, a surjective function (also known as surjection, or onto function) is a function that every element can be mapped from element so that . In other words, every element of the function's codomain is the image of one element of i ...

another instance, such as a

group A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic ide ...

(trivially) covering a

subgroup In group theory, a branch of mathematics, given a group ''G'' under a binary operation ∗, a subset ''H'' of ''G'' is called a subgroup of ''G'' if ''H'' also forms a group under the operation ∗. More precisely, ''H'' is a subgrou ...

. This should not be confused with the concept of a cover in topology. When some object ''X'' is said to cover another object ''Y'', the cover is given by some

surjective In mathematics, a surjective function (also known as surjection, or onto function) is a function that every element can be mapped from element so that . In other words, every element of the function's codomain is the image of one element of ...

and structure-preserving map . The precise meaning of "structure-preserving" depends on the kind of mathematical structure of which ''X'' and ''Y'' are instances. In order to be interesting, the cover is usually endowed with additional properties, which are highly dependent on the context.

Examples

A classic result in

semigroup In mathematics, a semigroup is an algebraic structure consisting of a set together with an associative internal binary operation on it. The binary operation of a semigroup is most often denoted multiplicatively: ''x''·''y'', or simply ''xy'' ...

theory due to D. B. McAlister states that every

inverse semigroup In group theory, an inverse semigroup (occasionally called an inversion semigroup) ''S'' is a semigroup in which every element ''x'' in ''S'' has a unique ''inverse'' ''y'' in ''S'' in the sense that ''x = xyx'' and ''y = yxy'', i.e. a regular semig ...

has an E-unitary cover; besides being surjective, the homomorphism in this case is also ''

idempotent Idempotence (, ) is the property of certain operations in mathematics and computer science whereby they can be applied multiple times without changing the result beyond the initial application. The concept of idempotence arises in a number of p ...

separating'', meaning that in its

kernel Kernel may refer to: Computing * Kernel (operating system), the central component of most operating systems * Kernel (image processing), a matrix used for image convolution * Compute kernel, in GPGPU programming * Kernel method, in machine learni ...

an idempotent and non-idempotent never belong to the same equivalence class.; something slightly stronger has actually be shown for inverse semigroups: every inverse semigroup admits an F-inverse cover. McAlister's covering theorem generalizes to orthodox semigroups: every orthodox semigroup has a unitary cover. Examples from other areas of algebra include the

Frattini cover Frattini is an Italian surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Angelo Frattini, sculptor * Franco Frattini, politician * Giovanni Frattini, mathematician ** Frattini argument ** Frattini subgroup In mathematics, particularly in g ...

of a

profinite group In mathematics, a profinite group is a topological group that is in a certain sense assembled from a system of finite groups. The idea of using a profinite group is to provide a "uniform", or "synoptic", view of an entire system of finite groups. ...

and the

universal cover A covering of a topological space X is a continuous map \pi : E \rightarrow X with special properties. Definition Let X be a topological space. A covering of X is a continuous map : \pi : E \rightarrow X such that there exists a discrete spa ...

of a

Lie group In mathematics, a Lie group (pronounced ) is a group that is also a differentiable manifold. A manifold is a space that locally resembles Euclidean space, whereas groups define the abstract concept of a binary operation along with the ad ...

Modules

If ''F'' is some family of modules over some ring ''R'', then an ''F''-cover of a module ''M'' is a homomorphism ''X''→''M'' with the following properties: *''X'' is in the family ''F'' *''X''→''M'' is surjective *Any surjective map from a module in the family ''F'' to ''M'' factors through ''X'' *Any endomorphism of ''X'' commuting with the map to ''M'' is an automorphism. In general an ''F''-cover of ''M'' need not exist, but if it does exist then it is unique up to (non-unique) isomorphism. Examples include: * Projective covers (always exist over perfect rings) * flat covers (always exist) *

torsion-free cover In algebra, a torsion-free module is a module over a ring such that zero is the only element annihilated by a regular element (non zero-divisor) of the ring. In other words, a module is ''torsion free'' if its torsion submodule is reduced to i ...

s (always exist over integral domains) *

injective cover In mathematics, an injective function (also known as injection, or one-to-one function) is a function that maps distinct elements of its domain to distinct elements; that is, implies . (Equivalently, implies in the equivalent contrapositiv ...

Notes

References

* Abstract algebra {{algebra-stub

Examples

Modules

See also

Notes

References