Basic Structures of Modern Algebra

This volume has developed from courses given at Moscow State University. The main purpose of the material presented is to introduce the concepts, results and problems of contemporary algebra, assuming some knowledge of the standard theory of linear algebra and vector spaces. One important aspect is also to demonstrate how the concepts discussed relate to each other and how they work in practice. The book begins with an introduction to the fundamental concepts of groups, rings, fields and modules and their representations. The seven chapters which follow are devoted respectively to the following topics: commutative algebra; groups; associative rings; Lie algebras; homological algebra; algebraic groups; and varieties of algebras. The volume concludes with a supplement dealing with set theory, references and indices. The book is as self-contained as possible. For graduate students and researchers wishing to obtain a good introduction to the concepts of contemporary algebra.