Becoming an "Algebraist"

What is Algebra?

I really don't know! Some may say that algebra is the study of equations, and although this may be partially true I believe it misses the point. There is something more to being an "algebraist" that simply studying equations doesn't explain.

This page is here to document my journey in becoming an "algebraist" and to describe my process in discovering what algebra is. Before I begin I would like to thank my fellow graduate students at Colorado State University for their valuable feedback!

The following are a few of the ideas I've picked up along the way that are essential to being an "Algebraist"

Necessary things to understand to be an "Algebraist"

• Algebra is when you quotient out the things that don't work!
  This is pretty self explanatory so I won't go into details


• Algebra is when idempotents except maybe when nilpotents.
  This took me a while to realize but yet it one of the most crucial pieces to being an "algebraist"
• Algebra is when Tensor Hom.
  Because it shows up everywhere!