Module manager: Dr. Ilaria Colazzo
Email: I.Colazzo@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2024/25
MATH2025 or MATH2026, or equivalent.
This module is not approved as an Elective
An algebra is a ring which is simultaneously a vector space over a field in a compatible way. Thus, while elements of an algebra can be multiplied by a scalar or added together as in a vector space, they can also be multiplied together. The complex numbers, regarded as a vector space over the real numbers, are a simple example. There are many beautiful examples of algebras, including group algebras, which have a basis given by the elements of a group; quiver algebras, which arise from directed graphs; and Temperley-Lieb algebras which come from certain geometric diagrams in the plane. Semisimple algebras form an important class of algebras, and one of the highlights of the course is Wedderburn's beautiful Structure Theorem, which classifies the semisimple algebras. Even though semisimplicity is quite an abstract concept, it turns out that each semisimple algebra has an explicit description in terms of algebras of matrices. This perspective is taken further via the study of all representations (or modules) of an algebra, in which every element of the algebra is replaced by a matrix, giving an explicit model for the algebra.
On completion of this module, students should be able to:
a) define some of the main concepts about associative algebras and representations.
b) state and prove some of the basic results about associative algebras and representations.
c) compute in various examples of algebras.
d) compute bases for some examples of algebras given by generators and relations.
e) use the isomorphism theorems to construct isomorphisms between modules
f) determine whether or not an algebra is semisimple.
- Associative algebras and examples
- Division algebras
- Algebras given by generators and relations
- Modules and the Isomorphism Theorems
- Simple and semisimple modules
- Semisimple algebras and the Wedderburn Structure Theorem
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 33 | 1 | 33 |
| Private study hours | 117 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 33 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 150 | ||
Studying and revising of course material.
Completing of assignments and assessments.
Regular example sheets.
| Exam type | Exam duration | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Standard exam (closed essays, MCQs etc) | 2.0 Hrs 30 Mins | 100 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Exams) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 9/30/2024
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team