A Course In Abstract Algebra

Designed for undergraduate and postgraduate students of mathematics the book can also be used by those preparing for various competitive examinations. The text starts with a brief introduction to results from set theory and number theory. It then goes on to cover groups, rings, vector spaces (Linear Algebra) and fields. The topics under Groups include subgroups, permutation groups, finite abelian groups, Sylow theorems, direct products, group actions, solvable and nilpotent groups. The course in Ring theory covers ideals, embedding of rings, euclidean domains, PIDs, UFDs, polynomial rings, irreducibility criteria, Noetherian rings. The section on vector spaces deals with linear transformations, inner product spaces, dual spaces, eigen spaces, diagonalizable operators etc. Under fields, algebraic extensions, splitting fields, normal and separable extensions, algebraically closed fields, Galois extensions and construction by ruler and compass are discussed. The theory has been strongly supported by numerous examples and worked out problems. There is also plenty of scope for the readers to try and solve problems on their own.