An Introduction to Homological Algebra: Second Edition

Main subject categories: • Homological Algebra • Ring Theory • Group Theory • Abstract Algebra

With a wealth of examples as well as abundant applications to algebra, this is a must-read work: an easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide to homological algebra.

The author provides a treatment of homological algebra which approaches the subject in terms of its origins in algebraic topology.

In this brand new edition the text has been fully updated and revised throughout and new material on sheaves and abelian categories has been added.

Applications include the following:

* to rings -- Lazard's theorem that flat modules are direct limits of free modules, Hilbert's Syzygy Theorem, Quillen-Suslin's solution of Serre's problem about projectives over polynomial rings, Serre-Auslander-Buchsbaum characterization of regular local rings (and a sketch of unique factorization);

* to groups -- Schur-Zassenhaus, Gaschutz's theorem on outer automorphisms of finite p-groups, Schur multiplier, cotorsion groups;

* to sheaves -- sheaf cohomology, Cech cohomology, discussion of Riemann-Roch Theorem over compact Riemann surfaces.

Learning homological algebra is a two-stage affair. Firstly, one must learn the language of Ext and Tor, and what this describes. Secondly, one must be able to compute these things using a separate language: that of spectral sequences. The basic properties of spectral sequences are developed using exact couples. All is done in the context of bicomplexes, for almost all applications of spectral sequences involve indices. Applications include Grothendieck spectral sequences, change of rings, Lyndon-Hochschild-Serre sequence, and theorems of Leray and Cartan computing sheaf cohomology.