Algebra (Q5891241)

The first edition of this textbook of modern abstract algebra was published in 2006, and it has become one of the most popular and widely used primers on the subject at German-language Universities in the course of the past seven years. This is due to the many outstanding features of the book, a detailed description of which can be found in my review in Zbl 1077.12001. In the present second edition of this excellent introduction to algebra, the authors have left the original text largely unchanged. However, the numerous minor errors and misprints have been corrected, the layout has been modernized, and some new topics have been included. More precisely, the second edition contains the new Chapter 11 titled ``Quadratic Forms'', in which the treatment of bilinear forms, vector spaces with a distinguished quadratic form, the classical orthogonal groups, the theorem of E. Witt, Clifford algebras, and spin groups, respectively, provides both an significant enhancement and an instructive illustration of the topics discussed in the previous chapters. Moreover, Chapter 8 has been enlarged by an additional supplementary section on the representation theory of finite groups, that is, by another classical theme that is not only highly appropriate for an introductory algebra text but also an effective complement to the discussion on group algebras in that chapter on semisimple and Artinian rings and modules. As for the unaltered contents of the remaining (original) text, I may entirely refer to my review of the first edition of the book. With the described additions to the present second edition, the titles of the eleven chapters now read as follows: 1. Groups: The Basics; 2. Groups: The Structure Theory; 3. Rings; 4. Polynomial Rings; 5. Elementary Theory of Field Extensions; 6. Galois Theory; 7. Modules: General Theory; 8. Semisimple and Artinian Modules and Rings; 9. Central Simple Algebras; 10. Integral Ring Extensions and Dedekind Rings; 11. Quadratic forms. Finally, it should be emphasized again that this algebra text is an excellent introduction to basic and advanced abstract algebra. lt covers an unusually broad spectrum of material on the subject in a compact, elegant, rigorous, comprehensible and vivid style of writing, thereby exhibiting a high degree of didactic experience and mastery. Together with the just as unusually large number of exercises, the book under review is a perfect companion for a two-semester course in algebra, a valuable source for self-study, and a useful source book for instructors likewise. Also, we would like to stress again what we stated in our review of the first edition: Both a translation into English and a supplement with solutions to selected exercises could make this book one of the great international standard texts!