Submodules and Homomorphisms
Suppose M is a left R-module and N is a subgroup of M. Then N is a submodule (or R-submodule, to be more explicit) if, for any n in N and any r in R, the product rn is in N (or nr for a right module).
The set of submodules of a given module M, together with the two binary operations + and ∩, forms a lattice which satisfies the modular law: Given submodules U, N1, N2 of M such that N1 ⊂ N2, then the following two submodules are equal: (N1 + U) ∩ N2 = N1 + (U ∩ N2).
If M and N are left R-modules, then a map f : M → N is a homomorphism of R-modules if, for any m, n in M and r, s in R,
This, like any homomorphism of mathematical objects, is just a mapping which preserves the structure of the objects. Another name for a homomorphism of modules over R is an R-linear map.
A bijective module homomorphism is an isomorphism of modules, and the two modules are called isomorphic. Two isomorphic modules are identical for all practical purposes, differing solely in the notation for their elements.
The kernel of a module homomorphism f : M → N is the submodule of M consisting of all elements that are sent to zero by f. The isomorphism theorems familiar from groups and vector spaces are also valid for R-modules.
The left R-modules, together with their module homomorphisms, form a category, written as R-Mod. This is an abelian category.
Read more about this topic: Module (mathematics)