Subset of $M_2(\mathbb{R})$ isomorphic to a field

abstract-algebrafield-theorylinear algebramatrices

Consider matrices of the form $\begin{bmatrix} a & b \\ -b & a-b \end{bmatrix}$ with entries from $\mathbb{R}$, closed under addition and matrix multiplication (see Unital rings within matrices ). This forms a unital and commutative ring.

Moreover, the determinant of such a matrix is of the form $x^2 + y^2 – xy = f(x,y)$ for $x,y \in \mathbb{R}$. Notice that $f_x = 2x – y$ and $f_y = 2y – x$, so the only possible extremum is at the critical point $(0,0)$, and for large $(x,y)$ we have positive $f(x,y)$, so I suspect that $f(x,y) > 0$ for $(x,y) \neq (0,0)$. So all nonzero matrices of this form are invertible, which means this ring is a field. Call it $M$.

Is there a more well-known field $K$ such that $M \cong K$? I notice that $M \cong \mathbb{R}^2$ with multiplication defined as $(a,b) * (c,d) = (ac-bd, ad+bc-bd)$, which is close to defining it as $(ac-bd, ad+bc)$ for $\mathbb{C}$.


EDIT: there are much simpler ways to prove $x^2+y^2-xy \neq 0$ if $(x,y) \neq (0,0)$. How can I prove that $xy\leq x^2+y^2$?

Best Answer

Are you familiar with $\Bbb{R}[\omega]=\{a+b\omega \, | \, a,b \in \Bbb{R}\}$, Eisenstein ring, where $\omega$ is the cube root of unity?

Here the norm $|a+b\omega|$ is defined as $(a+b\omega)(a+b\omega^2)=a^2-ab+b^2$.

If you are "determined" you can find the isomorphism:-)

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