Commutative Algebra: with a View Toward Algebraic Geometry (Graduate Texts in Mathematics)

Book Description

Commutative Algebra is best understood with knowledge of the geometric ideas that have played a great role in its formation, in short, with a view towards algebraic geometry. The author presents a comprehensive view of commutative algebra, from basics, such as localization and primary decomposition, through dimension theory, differentials, homological methods, free resolutions and duality, emphasizing the origins of the ideas and their connections with other parts of mathematics. Many exercises illustrate and sharpen the theory and extended exercises give the reader an active part in complementing the material presented in the text. One novel feature is a chapter devoted to a quick but thorough treatment of Grobner basis theory and the constructive methods in commutative algebra and algebraic geometry that flow from it. Applications of the theory and even suggestions for computer algebra projects are included. This book will appeal to readers from beginners to advanced students of commutative algebra or algebraic geometry. To help beginners, the essential ideals from algebraic geometry are treated from scratch. Appendices on homological algebra, multilinear algebra and several other useful topics help to make the book relatively self- contained. Novel results and presentations are scattered throughout the text.

Customer Reviews:

Not for the beginner.......2007-02-27

Well, the strength of this book lies in where it takes you. There is so much material here that when finished, you'll be prepared for a lot. Personally I think it is too wordy (my preferance is Atiyah & MacDonald) and the typesetting overall isn't all that impressive, so read up or consult other texts before/during your first encounter. M.Reids book is a better place to start.

Good book of reference.......2006-03-18

I purchased this as a book of reference. When I want to know something about Commutative Algebra (while reading Hartshorne's Algebraic Geometrry), I like a standard book of reference. But it seems a good book to learn commutative algebra aswell.

very good, but should be read slowly.......2004-09-25

Some proofs are somewhat abstract to the beginner. Although you are forced to check them on the paper, I think it is very good for the study. Also, you need a professor to instruct you, because in math, any language could only express the part of the oringins. Anyway, algebraic geometry is the course that you have to have a good professor to help you, otherwise stop study this field. In one word, it is a very very good book, so read it slowly!!!!!!

Superb.......2001-09-04

If one is interested in taking on a thorough study of algebraic geometry, this book is a perfect starting point. The writing is excellent, and the student will find many exercises that illustrate and extend the results in each chapter. Readers are expected to have an undergraduate background in algebra, and maybe some analysis and elementary notions from differential geometry. Space does not permit a thorough review here, so just a brief summary of the places where the author has done an exceptional job of explaining or motivating a particular concept:

(1) The history of commutative algebra and its connection with algebraic geometry, for example the origin of the concept of an "ideal" of a ring as generalizing unique factorization.

(2) The discussion of the concept of localization, especially its origins in geometry. A zero dimensional ring (collection of "points") is a ring whose primes are all maximal, as expected.

(3) The theory of prime decomposition as a generalization of unique prime factorization. Primary decomposition is given a nice geometric interpretation in the book.

(4) Five different proofs of the Nullstellensatz discussed, giving the reader good insight on this important result.

(5) The geometric interpretation of an associated graded ring corresponding to the exceptional set in the blowup algebra.

(6) The notion of flatness of a module as a continuity of fibers and a test for this using the Tor functor.

(7) The characterization of Hensel's lemma as a version of Newton's method for solving equations. The geometric interpretation of the completion as representing the properties of a variety in neighborhoods smaller than Zariski open neighborhoods.

(8) The characterization of dimension using the Hilbert polynomial.

(9) The fiber dimension and the proof of its upper semicontinuity.

(10) The discussion of Grobner bases and flat families. Nice examples are given of a flat family connecting a finite set of ideals to their initial ideals.

(11) Computer algebra projects for the reader using the software packages CoCoA and Macaulay.

(12) The theory of differentials in algebraic geometry as a generalization of what is done in differential geometry.

(13) The discussion of how to construct complexes using tensor products and mapping cones in order to study the Koszul complex.

(14) The connection of the Koszul complex to the cotangent bundle of projective space.

(15) The geometric interpretation of the Cohen-Macauley property as a map to a regular variety.

The standard text.......2000-07-28

This is often referred to as the standard text on commutative algebra.

It is an exceptionally good book on a subject that is normally difficult to get a handle on. Eisenbud's readable book gives intuitive and motivated proofs of even very technical results in commutative algebra, often illustrated with instructive examples, such as the useful figures illustrating embedded primes. A very nice feature is that he gives proofs to all the results in commutative algebra used by Robin Hartshorne's popular "Algebraic Geometry," making them a nice pair of books to read together.

I found this to be useful as a reference as well as a text. Most sections are fairly self-contained and many important topics are included in depth. I almost always find that it is the best place to learn any of the material covered.

Book Description

This book provides a careful and detailed algebraic introduction to Grothendieck's local cohomology theory, and illustrates many applications for the theory in commutative algebra and in the geometry of quasi-affine and quasi-projective varieties. Topics covered include Castelnuovo-Mumford regularity, the Fulton-Hansen connectedness theorem for projective varieties, and connections between local cohomology and both reductions of ideals and sheaf cohomology. It is designed for graduate students who have some experience of basic commutative algebra and homological algebra, and also for experts in commutative algebra and algebraic geometry.

Cyclic Homology (Grundlehren der mathematischen Wissenschaften)

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very comprehensive treatment on the subject

Cyclic Homology (Grundlehren der mathematischen Wissenschaften)
Jean-Louis Loday
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 3540630740

Book Description

From the reviews: "This is a very interesting book containing material for a comprehensive study of the cyclid homological theory of algebras, cyclic sets and S1-spaces. Lie algebras and algebraic K-theory and an introduction to Connes'work and recent results on the Novikov conjecture. The book requires a knowledge of homological algebra and Lie algebra theory as well as basic technics coming from algebraic topology. The bibliographic comments at the end of each chapter offer good suggestions for further reading and research. The book can be strongly recommended to anybody interested in noncommutative geometry, contemporary algebraic topology and related topics." European Mathematical Society Newsletter

In this second edition the authors have added a chapter 13 on MacLane (co)homology.

Customer Reviews:

very comprehensive treatment on the subject.......2004-02-21

I think that this is probably the only comprehensive book on the subject. There are several lecture notes published, but no other books have collected all up to date recent research results on the subject like this book did. Probably must-read classical book if you are interested in cyclic homology, or if you want to use it for you research. Very unfortunate fact is that this book is very rare, so that very hard to obtain. You may have lots of trouble buying this book.

Ideals, Varieties, and Algorithms: An Introduction to Computational Algebraic Geometry and Commutative Algebra (Undergraduate Texts in Mathematics)

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Symbolic computation
Easiest introduction to Algebraic Geometry
Straightforward and lucidly written
Good book
The best book on the topic

Ideals, Varieties, and Algorithms: An Introduction to Computational Algebraic Geometry and Commutative Algebra (Undergraduate Texts in Mathematics)
David Cox , John Little , and Donal O'Shea
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0387946802

Book Description

Algebraic Geometry is the study of systems of polynomial equations in one or more variables, asking such questions as: Does the system have finitely many solutions, and if so how can one find them? And if there are infinitely many solutions, how can they be described and manipulated? The solutions of a system of polynomial equations form a geometric object called a variety; the corresponding algebraic object is an ideal. There is a close relationship between ideals and varieties which reveals the intimate link between algebra and geometry. Written at a level appropriate to undergraduates, this book covers such topics as the Hilbert Basis Theorem, the Nullstellensatz, invariant theory, projective geometry, and dimension theory. The algorithms to answer questions such as those posed above are an important part of algebraic geometry. This book bases its discussion of algorithms on a generalization of the division algorithm for polynomials in one variable that was only discovered in the 1960's. Although the algorithmic roots of algebraic geometry are old, the computational aspects were neglected earlier in this century. This has changed in recent years, and new algorithms, coupled with the power of fast computers, have let to some interesting applications, for example in robotics and in geometric theorem proving. In preparing a new edition of Ideals, Varieties and Algorithms the authors present an improved proof of the Buchberger Criterion as well as a proof of Bezout's Theorem. Appendix C contains a new section on Axiom and an update about Maple , Mathematica and REDUCE.

Customer Reviews:

Symbolic computation.......2003-08-29

This book explains and illustrates the algorithms used by symbolic math packages such as Mathematica, Maple, CoCoA, MatLab, MuPAD,... to solve problems involving polynomials in many variables, and along the way teaches the elements of real algebraic geometry-- most mathematics texts concentrate on the complex-variable version. It is not just for undergraduates; electrical engineers, for instance, should see it. Lots of pictures!

Easiest introduction to Algebraic Geometry.......2003-04-23

This is the easiest introduction to algebraic geometry and commutative algebra, the authors had done a great job in writing a book that assume very little from the readers. To learn some algebraic geometry, you can either start with this book, or you can spend a year to read a lot of background materials in algebra and then go to a Graduate Text like Harris' book. Of course, if you want to be an expert in algebra, you eventually need a lot of background, what this book can help you is to offer you a quick start, much quicker than you would ever imagine.

Straightforward and lucidly written.......2002-04-09

Having just finished using this text in the course of an undergraduate seminar, I can attest to the fact that the authors' style is outstanding - they are able to synthesize an enormous amount of material in this volume and present it in a manner that is highly accessible to almost all students of mathematics. The presentation of important theorems (for example, Hilbert's Nullstellensatz and Basis Theorem) along with just the right amount of copncrete examples makes for a book of superb quality. All-around, I highly recommend this volume to anyone who has an interest in learning about Algebraic Geometry.

Good book.......2001-05-27

I don't have the second edition of this book but did read the first, and the authors do a fine job of introducing the reader to the computational side of algebraic geometry. I will forego a chapter by chapter review therefore, but no doubt the second edition (which I do not own) is as well-written as the first. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the many applications of algebraic geometry and to those who need to understand how to compute things in algebraic geometry. The good thing about this book is that it gives a concrete flavor to a highly abstract subject. Algebraic geometry, through its applications to coding theory, cryptography, and computer graphics, is fast becoming the subject to learn. It is no longer just an esoteric, high-brow subject but one that is taking on major importance in the information age. Even without applications though it is a fascinating subject, and readers will get a taste of this in this book.

The best book on the topic.......2001-01-26

I learned the basics of Groebner bases from this book and its the best introductory book on this topic. Authors have explained all concepts with the help of examples which makes it readable for people from other fields also. It also talks about applications of Groebner bases to other fields. The book gives lot of exercises which help in understanding the contents more. I recommend that if you wish to learn Algebraic Geometry and Groebner bases then this is the book to start with.

Theory of Generalized Inverses Over Commutative Rings (Algebra, Logic and Applications)

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Theory of Generalized Inverses Over Commutative Rings (Algebra, Logic and Applications)
K.P.S. Bhaskara Rao
Manufacturer: CRC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0415272483

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The theory of generalized inverses of real or complex matrices has been expertly developed and documented. But the generalized inverses of matrices over rings have received comprehensive treatment only recently. In this book, the author, who contributed to the research and development of the theory, explains his results. He explores regular elements in a ring, regular matrices over principal ideal rings, and regular matrices over commutative rings. Students, mathematicians working in g-inverses of matrices, along with algebraists, and control theorists will find new and indispensable data, presented with clarity and insight. This book is also well suited to graduate courses on g-inverses in algebra.

Lie Algebras and Algebraic Groups (Springer Monographs in Mathematics)

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Lie Algebras and Algebraic Groups (Springer Monographs in Mathematics)
Patrice Tauvel , and Rupert W.T. Yu
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Elliptic Curves

ASIN: 3540241701

Book Description

The theory of Lie algebras and algebraic groups has been an area of active research for the last 50 years. It intervenes in many different areas of mathematics: for example invariant theory, Poisson geometry, harmonic analysis, mathematical physics. The aim of this book is to assemble in a single volume the algebraic aspects of the theory, so as to present the foundations of the theory in characteristic zero. Detailed proofs are included and some recent results are discussed in the final chapters. All the prerequisites on commutative algebra and algebraic geometry are included.

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Introduction to Commutative Algebra
Concise Introduction to Commutative Algebra, strong preparation for Algebraic Number Theory and basic Algebraic Geometry
A baptism of fire for Algebraic Geometry
A gem of mathematical writing
A pocket guide to algebra

Introduction to Commutative Algebra
Michael Francis Atiyah , and I. G. MacDonald
Manufacturer: Addison Wesley Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0201407515

Book Description

This book grew out of a course of lectures given to third year undergraduates at Oxford University and it has the modest aim of producing a rapid introduction to the subject. It is designed to be read by students who have had a first elementary course in general algebra. On the other hand, it is not intended as a substitute for the more voluminous tracts such as Zariski-Samuel or Bourbaki. We have concentrated on certain central topics, and large areas, such as field theory, are not touched. In content we cover rather more ground than Northcott and our treatment is substantially different in that, following the modern trend, we put more emphasis on modules and localization.

Customer Reviews:

Introduction to Commutative Algebra.......2006-06-04

This is a difficult book for undergraduates, even ones who have already had some abstract algebra.
Many refer to the book's style as "terse", meaning that there is little explanation, few examples, and proofs are very condensed.

Concise Introduction to Commutative Algebra, strong preparation for Algebraic Number Theory and basic Algebraic Geometry.......2005-12-28

The strongest aspects of Atiyah & MacDonald's book are its brevity, accessibility to undergraduates, and subtle introduction of more advanced material.

Audience: I think an undergraduate with a solid understanding of material from a first course in abstract algebra (i.e., the chapter on rings--the modules chapter would help, but isn't necessary--from M. Artin's book 'Algebra' is more than sufficient) and some basic point-set topology from an intro real analysis course (or ch1-4 of Munkres) would be sufficient for fully appreciating the material. I think having experience in PS Topology is important for understanding parts of this book well; doing the exercises is possible if you learn it "on the fly," but I hadn't seen Urysohn's Lemma before, and even that caused me some "intuition" hangups; to fully appreciate the material, I would recommend doing a healthy number of problems in topology first.

Material: The material uses concepts from homological algebra, though in a disguised form; students with experience in category theory will find offhanded comments that recast some of the material in that language, but CT is absolutely not essential to understand the material well. It also provides exercises that lead naturally into topics from Algebraic Geometry and Algebraic Number Theory quite readily; a nice set of problems in CH1 walk a student through construction of the Zariski topology, prime spectrum, etc., and some functional properties of morphisms between spectra. Algebraic Number Theory starts showing up after chapter 4 in greater detail, and would lead comfortably into Lang's GTM on ALNT by CH9 (though I only read a bit of Lang, the first chapter felt natural).

The "details left to the reader" are usually reasonably tackled with the tools made available so far, and the book is short enough that one can cover a lot of ideas in a reasonable amount of time; the commentary made by the authors is brief, to the point, and never redundant as far as I can recall, so I consider this a highly efficient book (but not too efficient, it's self contained enough and not uncompromisingly terse).

Exercises: They are quite good, I think. Very few of them follow from "symbol-pushing" or "robotic theorem proving," and usually require some constructive argument. The exercises are mostly chosen to introduce more advanced material, and do a good job in that regard. The longer chapters have 25-30 exercises, and shorter chapters (a few pages) have maybe 10, so there are plenty of problems to do.

Hazards: The material on modules is brisk, the propositions in the first three sections on modules are mostly left without proof; however, the proofs follow from their analogues for rings, and aren't that hard, just be sure to actually do them because they are mentioned only briefly. Also, the book is not typo-free, but this only caused me one major hangup during the semester. After Chapter 3, the proofs are mostly complete, with a spattering of "left to the reader" exercises, which I usually found helpful.

Companion Material: I think Lang's 'Algebra' GTM would make a nice reference for the material on Homological Algebra and other miscellaneous things that come up in the proofs; I remember once a proof in the book required the notion of the adjoint of a matrix over a ring, and so I had to look it up in Lang, and also the basic category theory covered in CH1 of Lang would at least introduce (though in a very rapid way) the "abstract nonsense" mentioned offhandedly here and there. If you have a lot of money, or access to a good library, 'Categories for the Working Mathematician' is a slower and more thorough introduction to that language, and I would recommend at least having a look, though this isn't really central to the material from Commutative Algebra.

A baptism of fire for Algebraic Geometry.......2001-10-17

Some people believe that, for getting into algebraic geometry (by this I mean Grothendieck-like AG, with schemes and all that), one needs a monolithic training in commutative algebra (something like both volumes of Zariski-Samuel, for example). I disagree. This little book seems to be specially suited to those who want to learn AG. It's a bit too brisk, specially at the beginning - if you don't already have an acquaintance with the basics of groups, rings and ideals, you may run into trouble - but very illuminating. Masterful choice of topics, great exercises (as a matter of fact, about half the topics of the book, and more specifically the ones that are directly related to AG, are treated in the exercises, some of them quite challenging) - like one said before, it looks like a "chapter 0" of Hartshorne's book on AG. The authors consciously estabilish relations between the commutative algebra and the modern foundations of AG over and over along the way, illuminating both topics.

For the algebra itself, it also gets on well with Rotman's "Galois Theory" and MacDonald's out-of-print introduction to AG, "Algebraic Geometry - Introduction to Schemes", besides being the perfect preamble in commutative algebra to the books of Mumford and Hartshorne. A gem.

A gem of mathematical writing.......1999-04-21

This is how mathematics texts SHOULD be written. As in technical writing, the smaller text is the better written text. Everything is clean and direct, with clairity obviously a prime consideration. One never gets mired down. The proofs are always as close to a "THE BOOK" proof as possible, with illuminating examples, and plenty of excercises, many with outlines for solution, which makes the book ideal for self study. This book is a revelation. If I had to take only one math text with me to a desert island, this would be the one.

A pocket guide to algebra.......1999-02-08

This book is almost everything you need to gain a solid background in commutative algebra. Moreover, it's trimmed down enough so that it doesn't have the things you don't need. If you're not an algebraic geometer or number theorist, it may be the only commutative algebra book you'll need.

Undergraduate Commutative Algebra (London Mathematical Society Student Texts)

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"Undergraduate" in the best way

Undergraduate Commutative Algebra (London Mathematical Society Student Texts)
Miles Reid
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0521458897

Book Description

In this well-written introduction to commutative algebra, the author shows the link between commutative ring theory and algebraic geometry. In addition to standard material, the book contrasts the methods and ideology of modern abstract algebra with concrete applications in algebraic geometry and number theory. Professor Reid begins with a discussion of modules and Noetherian rings before moving on to finite extensions and the Noether normalization. Sections on the nullstellensatz and rings of fractions precede sections on primary decomposition and normal integral domains. This book is ideal for anyone seeking a primer on commutative algebra.

Customer Reviews:

"Undergraduate" in the best way.......2000-09-25

The material in this book is not usually considered "undergraduate": Noether normalization, spectra of rings, discrete valuation rings, and more. But this book makes them very clear. It is more geometrical, and has more motivation, than Atiyah and MacDonald INTRODUCTION TO COMMUTATIVE ALGEBRA. It is briefer and more surveyable than Eisenbud COMMUTATIVE ALGEBRA. If you go on in the subject you will certainly need Eisenbud's book. This is a very good starter, and a good companion to Eisenbud if you are learning the material on your own.

Combinatorial Commutative Algebra (Graduate Texts in Mathematics)

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Coherent and Useful

Combinatorial Commutative Algebra (Graduate Texts in Mathematics)
Ezra Miller , and Bernd Sturmfels
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0387237070

Book Description

Combinatorial commutative algebra is an active area of research with thriving connections to other fields of pure and applied mathematics. This book provides a self-contained introduction to the subject, with an emphasis on combinatorial techniques for multigraded polynomial rings, semigroup algebras, and determinantal rings. The eighteen chapters cover a broad spectrum of topics, ranging from homological invariants of monomial ideals and their polyhedral resolutions, to hands-on tools for studying algebraic varieties with group actions, such as toric varieties, flag varieties, quiver loci, and Hilbert schemes. Over 100 figures, 250 exercises, and pointers to the literature make this book appealing to both graduate students and researchers.

Customer Reviews:

Coherent and Useful.......2006-07-25

This book does a good job at introducing some of the most interesting combinatorial problems in monomial resolutions. Although their chapter on toric varieties is somewhat weak, most of the other chapters (square-free monomial ideals, Borel-fixed ideals, staircases associated to monomial ideals in three variables, etc.) are very well written with challenging and revealing exercises at the end.

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