[Math] Associativity of tensor product over various rings

abstract-algebracommutative-algebratensor-products

From Atiyah-MacDonald:

Exercise 2.15. Let $A$, $B$ be rings, let $M$ be an $A$-module, $P$ a $B$-module and $N$ an $(A,B)$-bimodule (that is, $N$ is simultaneously an $A$-module and a $B$-module and the two structures are compatible in the sense that $a(xb) = (ax)b$ for all $a \in A$, $b \in B$, $x \in N$). Then $M \otimes_A N$ is naturally a $B$-module, $N \otimes_B P$ an $A$-module, and we have
$$
(M \otimes_A N) \otimes_B P \cong M \otimes_A (N \otimes_B P).
$$

Source

Do they mean the isomorphism to be one of abelian groups? Or of modules over one of the rings somehow?

Best Answer

This is a natural isomorphism of abelian groups, so it will respect any extra module structures which may be present; naturality in $M$ implies that if $M$ is a $(C, A)$-bimodule for some other ring $C$ then this is an isomorphism of $C$-modules, and naturality in $P$ implies that if $P$ is a $(B, D)$-bimodule for some other ring $D$ then this is an isomorphism of $D$-modules.

In particular, if all rings involved are commutative, then this is always the case with $C = A, D = B$, so we get an isomorphism of $(A, B)$-bimodules.