Quick way to tell if two rings are isomorphic?

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In summary, the conversation discusses determining if three sets of rings are isomorphic to \mathbb{Z}_6 without justification. The speaker notes that the first one is isomorphic because 2 and 3 are coprime and have the same characteristic. The second one can be shown to be isomorphic using the Chinese Remainder Theorem or by showing that both rings have the same characteristic and can be generated by their 1. The third one is unclear as Z18 does not contain elements (0,0) or (2,0).
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Silversonic
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Homework Statement



Say if the following rings isomorphic to [itex] \mathbb{Z}_6 [/itex] (no justification needed);

1) [itex] \mathbb {Z}_2 \times \mathbb {Z}_3 [/itex]

2) [itex] \mathbb {Z}_6 \times \mathbb {Z}_6 [/itex]

3) [itex] \mathbb {Z}_{18} / [(0,0) , (2,0)] [/itex]

The Attempt at a Solution



I know how to tell if two rings AREN'T isomorphic - find an essential property that one ring has that another one doesn't. For example part 2), [itex] \mathbb {Z}_6 \times \mathbb {Z}_6 [/itex] has 36 elements, whereas [itex] \mathbb {Z}_6 [/itex] has 6.

But then, how do I show the other two?My notes say the first one is isomorphic to [itex] \mathbb {Z}_6 [/itex] because 2 and 3 are coprime. But how can it justify that so quickly? Because they are coprime both rings have the same characteristic (i.e. n.1 = 0 for n ≥ 1 in both rings). But is that enough to conclude that they are isomorphic?

And for the last one, where can I begin? If I can show both rings are generated by their 1, and both rings have the same characteristic, they should be isomorphic right?
 
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The first one you can do using the Chinese Remainder Theorem if you've seen it. If not,

If I can show both rings are generated by their 1, and both rings have the same characteristic, they should be isomorphic right?

This is a good way to do it. In particular if something is isomorphic to Z6 it should be really easy to construct the isomorphism and prove that it's an isomorphism

Your third one doesn't seem to make any sense though, since Z18 doesn't contain any elements called (0,0) or (2,0) in any standard notation that I have seen
 

1. How do you determine if two rings are isomorphic?

The quickest way to determine if two rings are isomorphic is by checking for the existence of a bijective ring homomorphism between the two rings. This means that there must be a function that preserves the ring structure and has an inverse function.

2. Can two rings have the same elements but not be isomorphic?

Yes, two rings can have the same elements but not be isomorphic. This is because the ring structure, such as addition and multiplication operations, may differ between the two rings.

3. What are the necessary conditions for two rings to be isomorphic?

The necessary conditions for two rings to be isomorphic are: they must have the same number of elements, the same additive and multiplicative identities, and the same operations of addition and multiplication.

4. Is there a visual way to determine if two rings are isomorphic?

No, there is no visual way to determine if two rings are isomorphic. The only way to determine isomorphism is by checking for the existence of a bijective ring homomorphism between the two rings.

5. Can two non-commutative rings be isomorphic?

Yes, two non-commutative rings can be isomorphic. Commutativity is not a requirement for isomorphism, as long as the necessary conditions are met, such as the same number of elements and the same operations.

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