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Algebraic structure → Ring theory Ring theory
Basic concepts Rings • Subrings • Ideal • Quotient ring • Fractional ideal • Total ring of fractions • Product of rings • Free product of associative algebras • Tensor product of algebras Ring homomorphisms • Kernel • Inner automorphism • Frobenius endomorphism Algebraic structures • Module • Associative algebra • Graded ring • Involutive ring • Category of rings • Initial ring $\mathbb {Z}$ • Terminal ring $0=\mathbb {Z} /1\mathbb {Z}$ Related structures • Field • Finite field • Non-associative ring • Lie ring • Jordan ring • Semiring • Semifield
Commutative algebra Commutative rings • Integral domain • Integrally closed domain • GCD domain • Unique factorization domain • Principal ideal domain • Euclidean domain • Field • Finite field • Composition ring • Polynomial ring • Formal power series ring Algebraic number theory • Algebraic number field • Ring of integers • Algebraic independence • Transcendental number theory • Transcendence degree p-adic number theory and decimals • Direct limit/Inverse limit • Zero ring $\mathbb {Z} /1\mathbb {Z}$ • Integers modulo pⁿ $\mathbb {Z} /p^{n}\mathbb {Z}$ • Prüfer p-ring $\mathbb {Z} (p^{\infty })$ • Base-p circle ring $\mathbb {T}$ • Base-p integers $\mathbb {Z}$ • p-adic rationals $\mathbb {Z} [1/p]$ • Base-p real numbers $\mathbb {R}$ • p-adic integers $\mathbb {Z} _{p}$ • p-adic numbers $\mathbb {Q} _{p}$ • p-adic solenoid $\mathbb {T} _{p}$ Algebraic geometry • Affine variety
Noncommutative algebra Noncommutative rings • Division ring • Semiprimitive ring • Simple ring • Commutator Noncommutative algebraic geometry Free algebra Clifford algebra • Geometric algebra Operator algebra
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In mathematics, a direct limit is a way to construct a (typically large) object from many (typically smaller) objects that are put together in a specific way. These objects may be groups, rings, vector spaces or in general objects from any category. The way they are put together is specified by a system of homomorphisms (group homomorphism, ring homomorphism, or in general morphisms in the category) between those smaller objects. The direct limit of the objects $A_{i}$ , where $i$ ranges over some directed set $I$ , is denoted by $\varinjlim A_{i}$ . This notation suppresses the system of homomorphisms; however, the limit depends on the system of homomorphisms.

Direct limits are a special case of the concept of colimit in category theory. Direct limits are dual to inverse limits, which are a special case of limits in category theory.