Abstract Algebra – Tensor Product and Compositum of Fields

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Let $E/k$, $F/k$ be two arbitrary field extensions of $k$. My question is:

  1. Is there a field extension $M/k$ s.t. $E/k$, $F/k$ are subextensions of $M/k$? Alternatively, can we talk about compositum fields without assuming a larger field?

  2. If the answer to the above question is yes, can we construct such a $M/k$ explicitly (by tensor product, direct product, localization, quotient etc.)?

  3. Is the $k-$algebra $E\otimes_k F $ never the zero ring?

Best Answer

As you seem to have realized the concept of a compositum is a bit troubling if we are not working inside a bigger field. Anyway, here come a few quick and dirty answers:

1+2) Yes (up to identification). The tensor product $E\otimes_k F$ is a commutative $k$-algebra. If $I$ is a maximal ideal in there (call upon Zorn's lemma to get the existence), then $M=E\otimes_k F/I$ is a field. The mappings $e\mapsto e\otimes 1 +I$ and $f\mapsto 1\otimes f +I$ are then homomorphisms of $k$-algebras, and thus injective (scores of details to check here). Therefore we can identify their images with $E$ and $F$ respectively. However, the choice of $I$ may make quite a difference. For example, if $E$ and $F$ are isomorphic (think: $\mathbf{Q}(\root 3\of 2)$ and $\mathbf{Q}(\omega\root3\of2)$, $\omega=(-1+i\sqrt3)/2$), then their images are equal for an appropriate choice of $I$, but may intersect trivially for another one.

[Edit: It is possible that the images of $E$ and $F$ never intersect trivially. A trivial intersection occurs in my example case, but clearly not always. Sorry about any possible confusion this error in the original version may have created.]

3) No. This never happens. The tensor product of two non-trivial vector spaces is never zero. You get a basis for the tensor product from pairwise elementary tensors of basis elements of the factor spaces. When we mod out a maximal ideal as above, some linear dependencies may or may not be introduced (the ideal may be zero).

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