Homework 4 Solutions

√
Problem 5.1.4. Let√R = {m + n 2 | m, n ∈ Z}.
(a) Show that m +√n 2 is a unit in R if and only if m2 − 2n2 = ±1.
(b) Show that 1 + 2 has infinite order in R× .
(c) Show that 1 and −1 are the only units that have finite order in R× .
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Proof. (a) Define a map N : R → Z where N (r) = m2 − 2n2 where r = m + n 2. One can verify that N is
multiplicative, i.e. N (rs) = N (r)N (s) for r, s ∈ R. Thus if r ∈ R× then rs = q for some s ∈ R. This implies
that N (r)N (s) = N (rs) = N (1) = 1 and √ √ N (s) ∈ Z√implies
hence N (r), that m2 − 2n2 = N (r) = ±1.
√
2 2 2 2 ×
For the converse observe
√ that (m + n 2)(m + √n k 2)(mk − n 2) = (m − 2n√) = 1, i.e. m + n 2 ∈ R .
(b) Note that 1 + 2 > 1 and therefore (1 + 2) > 1 = 1. Therefore 1 + 2 has infinite order.
(c) Since R is a subring of R and the only elements in R with finite order in R× are ±1 it follows that the
only elements in R× with finite order are ±1.
Problem 5.1.5. Let R be a subset of an integral domain D. Prove that if R 6= {0} is a ring under the operations
of D, then R is a subring of D.
Proof. Since R is a ring under the operations of D, to show that R is a subring of D it’s required to show that the
identity 1R or R is the same as the identity 1D of D. Note that R and D have the same additive identity since
0R + 0R = 0R = 0R + 0D ⇒ 0R = 0 = 0D . Now observe that 1R (1D − 1R ) = 1R · 1D − 1R · 1R = 1R − 1R = 0. Since
D is an integral domain this implies that 1R = 0 or 1D − 1R = 0 and hence 1D = 1R since R 6= {0} ⇒ 1R 6= 0.
A counter example when D is not an integral domain is given by D = Z6 and R = {[0]6 , [2]6 , [4]6 } as [4]6 is
the identity of R while [1]6 is the identity of D.
Problem 5.2.2. Let F be a field and let φ : F → E be a ring homomorphism. Show that φ is either zero or
one-to-one.
Proof. If E is the zero ring then φ is zero. If E is not the zero ring then if x ∈ F is nonzero then x−1 ∈ F and
φ(x) · φ(x−1 ) = φ(x · x−1 ) = φ(1) = 1 6= 0. In particular φ(x) 6= 0. Thus ker φ = {0} and φ is one-to-one.
Problem 5.2.5. Show that the identity mapping is the only ring homomorphism from Z into Z.
Proof. The identity mapping 1Z is clearly a ring homomorphism. Moreover if φ : Z → Z is a ring homomorphism
then φ(n) = n for any n ∈ Z since φ(0) = 0, φ(1) = 1 and for any n > 0, φ(n) = φ(1+· · ·+1) = φ(1)+· · ·+φ(1) =
1 + · · · + 1 = n and φ(−n) = −φ(n) = −n, i.e. φ = 1Z .
Problem 5.2.21. Let R1 , R2 , . . . , Rn be commutative rings. Complete the proof of Proposition 5.2.8, to show
that R = R1 ⊕ R2 ⊕ · · · ⊕ Rn is a commutative ring. Then show that R× ∼ = R1× × R2× × · · · × Rn× .
Proof. Since the multiplication on each component is associative and commutative it follows that the multiplica-
tion on R is associative and commutative. The identity of R is given by (1, 1, . . . , 1). Since the distributive law
holds on the components it follows that the distributive law holds for R. Thus R is a commutative ring.
Since (a1 , a2 , . . . , an )(b1 , b2 , . . . , bn ) = (1, 1, . . . , 1) if and only if ai bi = 1 for all i. Thus (a1 , a2 , . . . , an ) ∈
R× ⇐⇒ ai ∈ Ri× for all i, i.e. R× = R1× × R2× × · · · × Rn× .
Problem 5.2.23. Show that if R is an integral domain with characteristic p > 0, then for all a, b ∈ R we must
n n n
have (a + b)p = ap + bp . Show by induction that we must also have (a + b)p = ap + bp for all positive integers
n.
n n!
Proof. Recall the binomial coefficient ( m ) = (n−m)!m! for 0 ≤ m ≤ n. Note that for p prime p | p! while
p
p - (p − m)! and p - m! for 0 < m < p. Thus p | ( m ) for 0 < m < n.
By the binomial theorem we have
X p
(a + b)p = ap + bp + am bp−m
m
0<m<p

Since R has prime characteristic p it follows from the remarks above that (a + b)p = ap + bp .

1
 n n n n+1 n
Now suppose that (a + b)p = ap + bp for some positive integer n. Since (a + b)p = ((a + b)p )p , by the
pn+1 pn pn p pn+1 n+1
induction hypothesis and the base case it follows that (a + b) = (a + b ) = a + bp . Hence the
induction is complete and the Freshman’s dream is proven in this case.
Problem 5.3.10. Let P be a prime ideal of the commutative ring R. Prove that if I and J are ideals of R and
if I ∩ J ⊆ P , then either I ⊆ P or J ⊆ P .
Proof. Suppose for a contradiction that I 6⊆ P and J 6⊆ P then there exists i ∈ I\P and j ∈ J\P . However
ij ∈ I ∩ J since I and J are ideals. Since I ∩ J ⊆ P this implies that ij ∈ P which contradicts P a prime ideal.
Therefore I ⊆ P or J ⊆ P .
Problem 5.3.12. Recall that an element of a commutative ring is said to be nilpotent if an = 0 for some positive
integer n.
(a) Show that the set N of all nilpotent elements of a commutative ring forms an ideal of a ring.
(b) Show that R/N has no nonzero nilpotent elements.
(c) Show that N ⊆ P for each prime ideal P of R.
Proof. (a) First N is nonempty as 0 ∈ N . If a ∈ N then an = 0 for some positive integer n and hence if r ∈ R
then (ra)n = rn an = 0. Now suppose a, b ∈ N . then there are positive integers n and m such that an = bm = 0.
Consider aj bn+m−j , if j ≥ n then aj = 0 so aj bn+m−j = 0 while if 0 ≤ j < n then bn+m−j = 0 so aj bn+m−j = 0.
Hence by the binomial theorem it follows that (a + b)n+m = 0 so a + b ∈ N . Thus N is an ideal.
(b) Suppose r + N ∈ R/N is nilpotent then (r + N )n = rn + N = 0 + N for some positive integer n. Hence
r ∈ N implies that (rn )m = 0 for some positive integer m and hence rnm = 0, i.e. r ∈ N . Thus r + N = 0 + N ,
n

so R/N has no nonzero nilpotent elements.

(c) For a given a ∈ N , an = 0 ∈ P for some positive integer n. Since P is a prime ideal it follows that a ∈ P
and hence N ⊆ P for any prime ideal P .

Problem 5.3.18. Let R be a commutative ring with ideals I, J such that I ⊆ J ⊆ R.

(a) Show that J/I is an ideal of R/I.
(b) Show that the factor ring (R/I)/(J/I) is isomorphic to R/J.
(c) Show that J/I is a prime (or maximal) ideal of R/I if and only if J is a prime (or maximal ideal) of R.
Proof. (a) If π : R → R/I is the natural projection then by Proposition 5.3.7 π(J) = J/I is an ideal of R/J.
(b) Define f : R/I → R/J by f (r + I) = r + J. Note that this is well defined since if a + I = b + I then
a − b ∈ I ⊆ J so a + J = b + J. The map f is clearly a surjective ring homomorphism and ker f = {r + I ∈
R/I | r + J = 0 + J} = {r + I ∈ R/I | r ∈ J} = J/I. Thus by the fundamental homomorphism theorem
(R/I)/(J/I) ∼ = R/J.
(c) Note that J is prime if and only if R/J is an integral domain. By part (b) we have R/J ∼ = (R/I)/(J/I)
and hence J is a prime ideal if and only if J/I is a prime ideal.
The ideal J is maximal if and only if R/J ∼ = (R/I)/(J/I) is a field if and only if J/I is a maximal ideal.
Problem 5.3.19. Determine all prime ideals and maximal ideals of Zn .
Proof. Recall that the ideals of Z are given by mZ and Z/mZ is an integral domain if and only if m is prime.
Thus the prime ideals of Z are the ideals pZ for p prime and an ideal mZ contains nZ if and only if m | n. By
the previous exercise the prime ideals of Z/nZ are pZ/nZ for p a prime factor of n.
Note that Z/mZ is a field if and only if m is prime and hence the prime ideals and maximal ideals of Z
coincide and hence the maximal and prime ideals of Zn coincide.