# Basic Examples of the Tensor Product and Flatness

The tensor product is one of the most important constructions in mathematics, and here we shall see my favourite examples of the tensor product in action, hopefully to illuminate its properties for beginners. Proofs or references are provided, but since the emphasis is on examples, the proofs that are given are terse and details are left to the interested reader.

Let $R$ be a ring.

Proposition. If $M$ is a left $R$-module and we consider $R$ as a right $R$-module then $R\otimes_R M \cong M$.
Proof. Multiplication $R\times M\to M$ is bilinear, so it extends to a map $R\otimes_R M\to M$. The map $M\to R\otimes_R M$ given by $m\mapsto 1\otimes m$ is its inverse.
Proposition. If $M$ is a left (resp. right) $R$-module then the functor $-\otimes_R M$ (resp. $M\otimes_R-$) is right-exact.
Proof. The tensor functor is a left-adjoint so it is right-exact.

Here is an application of the above result.

Proposition. Let $m,n\geq 1$ be integers. In the category of abelian groups $\mathbb{Z}/n\otimes_\mathbb{Z}\mathbb{Z}/m\cong \mathbb{Z}/\mathrm{gcd}(m,n)$.