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Tate vector space

Tate vector space is a mathematics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Tate vector space rather than just read about it. In short: In mathematics, a Tate vector space is a vector space obtained from finite-dimensional vector spaces in a way that makes it possible to extend concepts such as dimension and determinant to an infinite-dimensional situation. Tate spaces were introduced by Alexander Beilinson, Boris Feigin, and Barry Mazur (1991), who named them after John Tate.

Key takeaways

  • Tate vector space belongs to mathematics; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Tate vector space to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Tate vector space from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

In mathematics, a Tate vector space is a vector space obtained from finite-dimensional vector spaces in a way that makes it possible to extend concepts such as dimension and determinant to an infinite-dimensional situation. Tate spaces were introduced by Alexander Beilinson, Boris Feigin, and Barry Mazur (1991), who named them after John Tate.

Introduction A typical example of a Tate vector space over a field k are the Laurent power series

V = k ( ( t ) ) . {\displaystyle V=k(\!(t)\!).\,}

It has two characteristic features:

as n grows, V is the union of its submodules t − n k [ [ t ] ] {\displaystyle t^{-n}k[[t]]} , where k [ [ t ] ] {\displaystyle k[[t]]} denotes the power series ring. These submodules are referred to as lattices. Even though each lattice is an infinite-dimensional vector space, the quotients of any individual lattices,

t − n k [ [ t ] ] / t − m k [ [ t ] ] , n ≥ m {\displaystyle t^{-n}k[[t]]/t^{-m}k[[t]],\ n\geq m}

are finite-dimensional k-vector spaces.

Tate modules Tate modules were introduced by Drinfeld (2006) to serve as a notion of infinite-dimensional vector bundles. For any ring R, Drinfeld defined elementary Tate modules to be topological R-modules of the form

P ⊕ Q ∗ {\displaystyle P\oplus Q^{*}}

where P and Q are projective R-modules (of possibly infinite rank) and * denotes the dual. For a field, Tate vector spaces in this sense are equivalent to locally linearly compact vector spaces, a concept going back to Lefschetz. These are characterized by the property that they have a base of the topology consisting of commensurable sub-vector spaces.

Tate objects Tate objects can be defined in the context of any exact category C. Briefly, an exact category is way to axiomatize certain features of short exact sequences. For example, the category of finite-dimensional k-vector spaces, or the category of finitely generated projective R-modules, for some ring R, is an exact category, with its usual notion of short exact sequences. The extension of the above example k ( ( t ) ) {\displaystyle k(\!(t)\!)} to a more general situation is based on the following observation: there is an exact sequence

0 → k [ [ t ] ] → k ( ( t ) ) → t − 1 k [ t − 1 ] → 0 {\displaystyle 0\to k[[t]]\to k((t))\to t^{-1}k[t^{-1}]\to 0}

whose outer terms are an inverse limit and a direct limit, respectively, of finite-dimensional k-vector spaces

k [ [ t ] ] = lim n k [ t ] / t n {\displaystyle k[[t]]=\lim _{n}k[t]/t^{n}}

t − 1 k [ t − 1 ] = colim m ⁡ ⨁ i = − 1 − m t i ⋅ k . {\displaystyle t^{-1}k[t^{-1}]=\operatorname {colim} _{m}\bigoplus _{i=-1}^{-m}t^{i}\cdot k.}

In general, for an exact category C, there is the category Pro(C) of pro-objects and the category Ind(C) of ind-objects. This construction can be iterated and yields an exact category Ind(Pro(C)). The category of elementary Tate objects

Tate el ⁡ ( C ) {\displaystyle \operatorname {Tate} ^{\text{el}}(C)}

is defined to be the smallest subcategory of those Ind-Pro objects V such that there is a short exact sequence

0 → L → V → L ′ → 0 {\displaystyle 0\to L\to V\to L'\to 0}

where L is a pro-object and L' is an ind-object. It can be shown that this condition on V is equivalent to that requiring for an ind-presentation

V : I → Pro ⁡ ( C ) {\displaystyle V:I\to \operatorname {Pro} (C)}

the quotients V j / V i {\displaystyle V_{j}/V_{i}} are in C (as opposed to Pro(C)). The category Tate(C) of Tate objects is defined to be the closure under retracts (idempotent completion) of elementary Tate objects. Braunling, Groechenig & Wolfson (2016) showed that Tate objects (for C the category of finitely generated projective R-modules, and subject to the condition that the indexing families of the Ind-Pro objects are countable) are equivalent to countably generated Tate R-modules in the sense of Drinfeld mentioned above.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Tate vector space

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Tate vector space claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In mathematics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Tate vector space before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Tate vector space ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Tate vector space

In research
Tate vector space appears in mathematics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Tate vector space in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Tate vector space is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Algebraic geometry, Lie algebras, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Tate vector space outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study Tate vector space in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Tate vector space means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Tate vector space out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Tate vector space in simple terms?

In mathematics, a Tate vector space is a vector space obtained from finite-dimensional vector spaces in a way that makes it possible to extend concepts such as dimension and determinant to an infinite-dimensional situation. Tate spaces were introduced by Alexander Beilinson, Boris Feigin, and Barry…

Why does Tate vector space matter?

Because it connects several mathematics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Tate vector space?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Tate vector space.

Tags

  • Algebraic geometry
  • Lie algebras

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