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My goal is to pick up some commutative algebra, ultimately in order to be able to understand algebraic geometry texts like Hartshorne's. Three popular texts are Atiyah-Macdonald, Matsumura (Commutative Ring Theory), and Eisenbud. There are also other books by Reid, Kemper, Sharp, etc. Can someone outline the differences between these texts, their relative strengths, and their intended audiences?

I am not listing my own background and strengths, on purpose, (a) so that the answers may be helpful to others, and (b) I might be wrong about myself, and I want to hear more general opinions than what might suite my narrow profile (e.g. If I said "I only like short books", then I might preclude useful answers about Eisenbud, etc.).

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Eisenbud wrote his book as a preparation for Hartshorne, which is what "with a View Toward Algebraic Geometry" in the title alludes to. – Tim van Beek May 6 '11 at 9:05
Are you recommending Eisenbud on those grounds, then? – Cantor's Paradise May 6 '11 at 17:28
Yes, and also because I like Eisenbud's expository style: Also have a look at his little book "the geometry of schemes". – Tim van Beek May 6 '11 at 18:55
Excellent question! – Amitesh Datta Jun 5 '11 at 11:32

I would recommend:




(2) Once one has a solid understanding of field theory and Galois theory, one can start learning commutative algebra. There are many good books on commutative algebra at the basic level. I recommend Atiyah and Macdonald's "An Introduction to Commutative Algebra" for the following reasons:



Unfortunately, I have not read too many other introductory books on commutative algebra. "Algebra: A Graduate Course" by Martin Isaacs is also a good introduction to commutative algebra; however, the book is not one on commutative algebra purely. Similarly, Serge Lang's "Algebra" is also a good introduction.

(3) I think that there are three main choices for commutative algebra reading after Atiyah and Macdonald: "Commutative Algebra" by Hideyuki Matsumura, "Commutative Ring Theory" by Hideyuki Matsumura, and "Commutative Algebra: With a View Toward Algebraic Geometry" by David Eisenbud. Chapter IV of EGA is also a good reference if you are comfortable with the idea of reading French. However, I have not read any of these books (although I will do so soon) and thus I cannot comment further. Note that Matsumura's "Commutative Algebra" has very few exercises.

I hope this helps!

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How could that not help? Thanks for the effort! – t.b. Jun 5 '11 at 12:08
Thanks! (Character Limit) – Amitesh Datta Jun 5 '11 at 12:27
Dear Amitesh, In looking for sources for commutative algebra, I came across your excellent piece. Taking your advice to heart: perhaps you would please give me your recommendation(s) for Galois Theory. I'm a self-studier, so accessible and clear are especially valued. Thanks very much. Regards. – TheBirdistheWord Oct 19 '12 at 15:48
@Andrew Dear Andrew, I'm really sorry I didn't catch your message; I was inactive around October last year! You've probably already figured out an answer to your question in the past nine months. However, if you're still interested in an answer to this question, then please let me know and I can try to give you a detailed recommendation. Indeed, if you have any questions about math textbooks in general, then I am happy to advise. Personally, I learnt Galois theory from "Algebra: A Graduate Course" by Isaacs but Dummit and Foote's "Abstract Algebra" is popular too! Regards, – Amitesh Datta Jul 2 '13 at 2:29
@AmiteshDatta Thanks for your warm and kind reply. Yes, for now I'm OK with texts. But I would like to take this opportunity to tell you how inspiring your endeavor is. I hope things are going well for you in all regards. Best, – TheBirdistheWord Jul 2 '13 at 10:40

Eisenbuds book ("Commutative Algebra with a view towards algebraic geometry") is really gentle, and has good explanations together with lots of good illustrations. It is however huge, so you shouldn't really try to read the whole book.

Atiyah-MacDonald is no doubt the best mathematics book I've read, but it was a pain working through it because it is so densely written.

Edit: Some of the reasons I like Atiyah-MacDonald: * Tons of exercises - and really good ones too. * Short, concise language (this makes reading proofs a bit harder, but it pays off later when you're using the book as reference). * Very good choice of topics covered.

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May I ask what was so good about AM? – Cantor's Paradise May 6 '11 at 17:27

For a down-to-earth introduction, see A Singular Introduction to Commutative Algebra (also here). See also Reference book for commutative algebra from MO and a list but without comments.

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