This book develops aspects of category theory fundamental to the study of algebraic K-theory. Starting with categories in general, the text then examines categories of K-theory and moves on to tensor products and the Morita theory. The categorical approach to localizations and completions of modules is formulated in terms of direct and inverse limits. The authors consider local-global techniques that supply information about modules from their localizations and completions and underlie some interesting applications of K-theory to number theory and geometry. Many useful exercises, concrete illustrations of abstract concepts, and an extensive list of references are included.

This concise introduction to ring theory, module theory and number theory is ideal for a first year graduate student, as well as being an excellent reference for working mathematicians in other areas. Starting from definitions, the book introduces fundamental constructions of rings and modules, as direct sums or products, and by exact sequences. It then explores the structure of modules over various types of ring: noncommutative polynomial rings, Artinian rings (both semisimple and not), and Dedekind domains. It also shows how Dedekind domains arise in number theory, and explicitly calculates some rings of integers and their class groups. About 200 exercises complement the text and introduce further topics. This book provides the background material for the authors' forthcoming companion volume Categories and Modules. Armed with these two texts, the reader will be ready for more advanced topics in K-theory, homological algebra and algebraic number theory.