algebra Algebra is a branch of mathematics that deals with abstract systems, known as algebraic structures, and the manipulation of expressions within those systems. It is a generalization of arithmetic that introduces variables and algebraic ope ...

, given a

ring (The) Ring(s) may refer to: * Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry * To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell Arts, entertainment, and media Film and TV * ''The Ring'' (franchise), a ...

''R'', the category of left modules over ''R'' is the

category Category, plural categories, may refer to: General uses *Classification, the general act of allocating things to classes/categories Philosophy * Category of being * ''Categories'' (Aristotle) * Category (Kant) * Categories (Peirce) * Category ( ...

whose objects are all left modules over ''R'' and whose

morphism In mathematics, a morphism is a concept of category theory that generalizes structure-preserving maps such as homomorphism between algebraic structures, functions from a set to another set, and continuous functions between topological spaces. Al ...

s are all

module homomorphism In algebra, a module homomorphism is a function between modules that preserves the module structures. Explicitly, if ''M'' and ''N'' are left modules over a ring ''R'', then a function f: M \to N is called an ''R''-''module homomorphism'' or an ' ...

s between left ''R''-modules. For example, when ''R'' is the ring of

integer An integer is the number zero (0), a positive natural number (1, 2, 3, ...), or the negation of a positive natural number (−1, −2, −3, ...). The negations or additive inverses of the positive natural numbers are referred to as negative in ...

s Z, it is the same thing as the

category of abelian groups In mathematics, the category Ab has the abelian groups as objects and group homomorphisms as morphisms. This is the prototype of an abelian category: indeed, every small abelian category can be embedded in Ab. Properties The zero object o ...

. The category of right modules is defined in a similar way. One can also define the category of

bimodule In abstract algebra, a bimodule is an abelian group that is both a left and a right module, such that the left and right multiplications are compatible. Besides appearing naturally in many parts of mathematics, bimodules play a clarifying role, i ...

s over a ring ''R'' but that category is equivalent to the category of left (or right) modules over the enveloping algebra of ''R'' (or over the opposite of that). Note: Some authors use the term module category for the category of modules. This term can be ambiguous since it could also refer to a category with a monoidal-category action.

Properties

The categories of left and right modules are

abelian categories In mathematics, an abelian category is a category in which morphisms and objects can be added and in which kernels and cokernels exist and have desirable properties. The motivating prototypical example of an abelian category is the category of a ...

. These categories have enough projectives and enough injectives. Mitchell's embedding theorem states every abelian category arises as a

full subcategory In mathematics, specifically category theory, a subcategory of a category ''C'' is a category ''S'' whose objects are objects in ''C'' and whose morphisms are morphisms in ''C'' with the same identities and composition of morphisms. Intuitivel ...

of the category of modules over some ring. Projective limits and inductive limits exist in the categories of left and right modules. Over a

commutative ring In mathematics, a commutative ring is a Ring (mathematics), ring in which the multiplication operation is commutative. The study of commutative rings is called commutative algebra. Complementarily, noncommutative algebra is the study of ring prope ...

, together with the

tensor product of modules In mathematics, the tensor product of modules is a construction that allows arguments about bilinear maps (e.g. multiplication) to be carried out in terms of linear maps. The module construction is analogous to the construction of the tensor produ ...

⊗, the category of modules is a

symmetric monoidal category In category theory, a branch of mathematics, a symmetric monoidal category is a monoidal category (i.e. a category in which a "tensor product" \otimes is defined) such that the tensor product is symmetric (i.e. A\otimes B is, in a certain strict sen ...

Objects

monoid object In category theory, a branch of mathematics, a monoid (or monoid object, or internal monoid, or algebra) in a monoidal category is an object ''M'' together with two morphisms * ''μ'': ''M'' ⊗ ''M'' → ''M'' called ''multiplication'', * ''η ...

of the category of modules over a commutative ring ''R'' is exactly an

associative algebra In mathematics, an associative algebra ''A'' over a commutative ring (often a field) ''K'' is a ring ''A'' together with a ring homomorphism from ''K'' into the center of ''A''. This is thus an algebraic structure with an addition, a mult ...

over ''R''. A

compact object In astronomy, the term compact object (or compact star) refers collectively to white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes. It could also include exotic stars if such hypothetical, dense bodies are confirmed to exist. All compact objects have a ...

in ''R''-Mod is exactly a finitely presented module.

Category of vector spaces

The

''K''-Vect (some authors use Vect_''K'') has all

vector space In mathematics and physics, a vector space (also called a linear space) is a set (mathematics), set whose elements, often called vector (mathematics and physics), ''vectors'', can be added together and multiplied ("scaled") by numbers called sc ...

s over a field ''K'' as objects, and ''K''-linear maps as morphisms. Since vector spaces over ''K'' (as a field) are the same thing as modules over the

''K'', ''K''-Vect is a special case of ''R''-Mod (some authors use Mod_''R''), the category of left ''R''-modules. Much of

linear algebra Linear algebra is the branch of mathematics concerning linear equations such as :a_1x_1+\cdots +a_nx_n=b, linear maps such as :(x_1, \ldots, x_n) \mapsto a_1x_1+\cdots +a_nx_n, and their representations in vector spaces and through matrix (mathemat ...

concerns the description of ''K''-Vect. For example, the

dimension theorem for vector spaces In mathematics, the dimension theorem for vector spaces states that all bases of a vector space have equally many elements. This number of elements may be finite or infinite (in the latter case, it is a cardinal number), and defines the dimension ...

says that the

isomorphism class In mathematics, an isomorphism is a structure-preserving mapping or morphism between two structures of the same type that can be reversed by an inverse mapping. Two mathematical structures are isomorphic if an isomorphism exists between them ...

es in ''K''-Vect correspond exactly to the

cardinal number In mathematics, a cardinal number, or cardinal for short, is what is commonly called the number of elements of a set. In the case of a finite set, its cardinal number, or cardinality is therefore a natural number. For dealing with the cas ...

s, and that ''K''-Vect is equivalent to the

subcategory In mathematics, specifically category theory, a subcategory of a category ''C'' is a category ''S'' whose objects are objects in ''C'' and whose morphisms are morphisms in ''C'' with the same identities and composition of morphisms. Intuitively, ...

of ''K''-Vect which has as its objects the vector spaces ''K''^''n'', where ''n'' is any cardinal number.

Generalizations

The category of sheaves of modules over a

ringed space In mathematics, a ringed space is a family of (commutative) rings parametrized by open subsets of a topological space together with ring homomorphisms that play roles of restrictions. Precisely, it is a topological space equipped with a sheaf of ...

also has enough injectives (though not always enough projectives).

References

Bibliography

* * *

External links

Vector spaces In mathematics and physics, a vector space (also called a linear space) is a set whose elements, often called ''vectors'', can be added together and multiplied ("scaled") by numbers called ''scalars''. The operations of vector addition and sc ...

Linear algebra {{linear-algebra-stub