Commutative Algebra: Volume I, Paperback

A precise, fundamental study of commutative algebra, this largely self-contained treatment is the first in a two-volume set. Intended for advanced undergraduates and graduate students in mathematics, its prerequisites are the rudiments of set theory and linear algebra, including matrices and determinants.
The opening chapter develops introductory notions concerning groups, rings, fields, polynomial rings, and vector spaces. Subsequent chapters feature an exposition of field theory and classical material concerning ideals and modules in arbitrary commutative rings, including detailed studies of direct sum decompositions. The final two chapters explore Noetherian rings and Dedekind domains. This work prepares readers for the more advanced topics of Volume II, which include valuation theory, polynomial and power series rings, and local algebra.

Oscar Zariski (1899-1986) was born in Russia, studied at the Universities of Kiev and Rome, and emigrated to the United States in 1927. He taught at Johns Hopkins, where he became a Professor in 1937. He joined the mathematical faculty at Harvard University in 1947 and taught there until his retirement in 1969. His Collected Papers were published by MIT Press in four volumes.
Pierre Samuel received his PhD from Princeton University in 1947, and another Doctorate degree from the University of Paris in 1949. He taught at the University of Clermont-Ferrand, and later at the University of Paris-Sud. Dover also publishes his Algebraic Theory of Numbers.