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abstract algebra question

Name: Anonymous 2009-03-04 5:04

Is there a shortcut to prove that Z, Q, R, S are pairwise nonisomorphic? I can split it into three proofs and do them individually, but I feel like there has to be some property that covers all the cases.

It can't be just the fact that Z < Q < R < S because the subset of even integers is isomorphic to the set of all integers.

Anyone care to push me in the right direction, if there is one?

Name: Anonymous 2009-03-04 8:17

Seems to me it has to be at least three seperate ideas.

I'd start from the top down, obviously C isn't iso to any of the others because it has an element squaring to -1.

Next R isn't iso to Q or Z as R is uncountable and an isomorphism is a bijection

Q isn't isomorphic to Z because if it were, say isomorphism p:Q -> Z
p(1) = 1 by def. Also p(-1) = -1 and p(1+(-1))=0=p(1) + p(-1)
but then observe p(Z) = Z (excuse the notation), and thus the map isn't injective, as p(1/2) must also be in Z for example.

As isomorphism is an equivalence relation, this is sufficient to show pairwise non-isomorphic.

Is this simple enough? Strangely it's the last one that's the least neat, maybe there's a shorter proof than that.

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