Chapter 17: Problem 2
Prove In any ring, if \(a b=-b a\), then \((a+b)^{2}=(a-b)^{2}=a^{2}+b^{2}\).
Short Answer
Expert verified
\((a+b)^2 = (a-b)^2 = a^2 + b^2\) when \(ab = -ba\) in a ring.
Step by step solution
01
Understanding the given condition
We are given that in a ring, for elements \(a\) and \(b\), the equation \(ab = -ba\) holds. This means \(ab + ba = 0\). We need to prove two equations: \((a+b)^2 = a^2 + b^2\) and \((a-b)^2 = a^2 + b^2\).
02
Expanding \((a+b)^2\)
Start by expanding \((a+b)^2\) using the distributive property:\((a+b)^2 = (a+b)(a+b) = a^2 + ab + ba + b^2.\)Given the condition \(ab = -ba\), we substitute \(ba = -ab\):\(a^2 + ab + (-ab) + b^2 = a^2 + 0 + b^2 = a^2 + b^2.\)
03
Expanding \((a-b)^2\)
Now expand \((a-b)^2\) using the distributive property:\((a-b)^2 = (a-b)(a-b) = a^2 - ab - ba + b^2.\)Substitute \(ba = -ab\) once more:\(a^2 - ab - (-ab) + b^2 = a^2 - ab + ab + b^2 = a^2 + 0 + b^2 = a^2 + b^2.\)
04
Conclusion of the proof
For both expansions, \((a+b)^2\) and \((a-b)^2\), we reached the conclusion that they both simplify to \(a^2 + b^2\) using the fact that \(ab + ba = 0\). Thus, the statement is proven.
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Distributive Property
The distributive property is a fundamental rule in algebra and ring theory. It states that for any elements in a ring, the product of an element with the sum or difference of two other elements can be distributed:
- Distributing multiplication over addition: \( a(b + c) = ab + ac \)
- Distributing multiplication over subtraction: \( a(b - c) = ab - ac \)
- \((a+b)(a+b) = a^2 + ab + ba + b^2\)
- \((a-b)(a-b) = a^2 - ab - ba + b^2\)
Expansion of Squares
The expansion of squares is a technique used to simplify expressions where a binomial is squared. For both \((a+b)^2\) and \((a-b)^2\),expanding the squares involves applying the distributive property to multiply each term in the binomial by itself or its components:
- For \((a+b)^2\), you multiply: \((a+b)(a+b) = a^2 + ab + ba + b^2\)
- For \((a-b)^2\), you calculate: \((a-b)(a-b) = a^2 - ab - ba + b^2\)
Commutative Ring
A commutative ring is a type of algebraic structure where addition and multiplication operations behave according to specific rules.
- Addition is commutative: \(a + b = b + a\)
- Multiplication is commutative: \(a b = b a\) (This property doesn't hold in our condition, where \(ab = -ba\))
- Multiplication distributes over addition: \(a(b+c) = ab + ac\)
Algebraic Proof
An algebraic proof is a logical argument, using algebra rules, to demonstrate the truth of a statement. In this exercise, we needed to prove two identities involving the elements of a ring. The steps involved were:
- Recognizing the given condition: \(ab = -ba\) This implies that \(ab + ba = 0\).
- Using this condition, we showed both expansions \((a+b)^2\) and \((a-b)^2\) lead to \(a^2 + b^2\).