For two-term undergraduate level courses in Algebra. This text's organizing principle is the interplay between groups and rings, where rings includes the ideas of modules. It contains basic definitions, complete and clear theorems and gives attention to the topics of algebraic geometry, computers, homology and representations. More than merely a succession of definition theorem proofs, this text puts results and ideas in context so that students can appreciate why a certain topic is being studied and where definitions originate. *Coverage of topics not usually found in other texts - e.g. inverse and direct limits: Euclidean rings; Grobner bases; Ext and tor; Schreier-Neilsen theorem (subgroups of free groups are free); simplicity of PSL (2, q). *Numerous exercises. *Many examples and counter-examples. *Serious treatment of set theory - Reminds students what functions really are. *Early presentation of the basis theorem for finite abelian groups - Makes the proof of the basis theorem for finitely generated modules over PID's more digestible, allowing students to then see how that proof is translated into the language of modules. *Transition - To make the step from an undergraduat
Description:
For two-term undergraduate level courses in Algebra. This text's organizing principle is the interplay between groups and rings, where rings includes the ideas of modules. It contains basic definitions, complete and clear theorems and gives attention to the topics of algebraic geometry, computers, homology and representations. More than merely a succession of definition theorem proofs, this text puts results and ideas in context so that students can appreciate why a certain topic is being studied and where definitions originate. *Coverage of topics not usually found in other texts - e.g. inverse and direct limits: Euclidean rings; Grobner bases; Ext and tor; Schreier-Neilsen theorem (subgroups of free groups are free); simplicity of PSL (2, q). *Numerous exercises. *Many examples and counter-examples. *Serious treatment of set theory - Reminds students what functions really are. *Early presentation of the basis theorem for finite abelian groups - Makes the proof of the basis theorem for finitely generated modules over PID's more digestible, allowing students to then see how that proof is translated into the language of modules. *Transition - To make the step from an undergraduat