Finding specific isomorphism $\mathrm{Hom}(M, R)\otimes_R F \rightarrow \mathrm{Hom}(M, F)$

abstract-algebracommutative-algebramodulesring-theory

Let $R$ be a commutative ring with $1_R$. Let $M$ be a $R$-module and $F$ be a free $R$-module.

How do I find a specific isomorphism to show that $$\mathrm{Hom}(M, R)\otimes_R F \cong \mathrm{Hom}(M, F).$$

Due to the universal property I know that there exists a unique homomorphism $$\varphi: \mathrm{Hom}(M, R)\otimes_R F \rightarrow \mathrm{Hom}(M, F),$$
because $\beta: \mathrm{Hom}(M, R) \times F \rightarrow \mathrm{Hom}(M, F)$ with $\beta: (\lambda, w) \mapsto \lambda(v)\cdot w$ is bilinear.

How do I go about finding $\varphi$? Can I use $\beta = \varphi \circ \tau$, where $\tau$ is the natural inclusion or do I need to use the resemblance to dual spaces. How much does the case with $R$ a field, and $M, F$ vectorspaces differ from the one with rings?

Best Answer

In the case that $R$ is a field, $M$ and $F$ vector spaces, one typically shows injectivity and then uses a dimension counting argument to show that this map is an isomorphism.

One way to prove it in this setting would be to pick a basis $\{e_i\}_{i\in I}$ of $F$ (this can be done, as $F$ is free!). Then $\text{Hom}_R(F,R)$ is also free, with basis denoted by $\{e^i\}_{i\in I}$, where the duality pairing is defined by $e^j(e_i) = \delta^j_i$.

Then given a map $f:M \to F$, the inverse of the map $\phi$ can be written as $$ \phi^{-1}(f)(m) = \sum_{i\in I} e^i(f(m))e_i, $$ for $m\in M$, where the sum only has finitely many nonzero terms.

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