Please help! Let phi: R rightarrow S be a surjective homomorphism from the ring R to the ring S. Prove that if T is a subring of R, then the set W= {b S such that b = phi (c) for some c T } is a subring of S. [Be specific of how and where you use that T is a subring of R.] Solution Let a, b in W. Then a= phi(r) for some r in T and b = phi(t) for some t in T. Now to show a+b is in W, notice that a+b = phi(r)+phi(t)=phi(r+t). Since T is a subring and r and t are in T, then r+t is in T too. So a+b is in W. To show a*b is in W, notice that since T is a subring, r*t is in W. So a*b = phi(r)phi(t)=phi(rt). SInce rt is in T, a*b is inW. To show that -a is in W, notice that since T is a subring, if r is in T, so is -r. So, phi(-r) = -phi(r) = -a. Hence -a is in W. Finally, since T is a subring, 0 is in T. So 0 = phi(0), so 0 is in W too. By the subgring criterion, W is a subring. Please rate :). .