CHARACTERIZATION OF PIDS AND NOETHERIAN RINGS WITH RESPECT TO PRIME IDEALS

CIHAN BAHRAN

1. Introduction Most algebra textbooks have an exercise to show that if every prime ideal of a commutative ring R is nitely generated, then R is Noetherian. That is if prime ideals of R are nitely generated, then every ideal of R is nitely generated. An analogue of this statement holds for PIDs: If every prime ideal of an integral domain R is principal, then R is a PID. These are nice and memorable results, but the arguments to prove them are not easy to remember (at least for me). This paper will always remember them even if I dont. The argument I will use for the Noetherian rings is from Paolo Alus Algebra: Chapter 0 (exercise V.3.15) and the argument for PIDs is from Dummit & Footes Abstract Algebra (exercise 8.2.6). 2. Lets go disco We will use Zorns lemma for both proofs. We start with a a lemma heading to this direction. Lemma 1. Let R be a ring and let (I ) be a chain of ideals with respect to inclusion (i.e. for every 1 , 2 ; either 1 2 or 2 1 ). Let I = I . Then we have: (1) If none of I are principal, then I is not principal. (2) If none of I are nitely generated, then I is not nitely generated. Proof. For (1), suppose to the contrary I = (a), for some a R. Then a I for some . But then I = (a) I . It follows I = I = (a), a contradiction. We employ a similar strategy for (2). Suppose I = (a1 , . . . , an ). Since (I ) is a chain, some I contains all a1 , . . . , an . It follows I = I = (a1 , . . . , an ), a contradiction. A straightforward application of Zorns lemma gives the following: Proposition 2. Let R be a ring. Let P = {I F = {I R : I is not principal} R : I is not nitely generated}

Then, (1) If P = , P has a maximal element (with respect to inclusion). (2) If F = , F has a maximal element (with respect to inclusion).
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CIHAN BAHRAN

We will show that the maximal elements (w.r.t ) of P and F are necessarily prime. This gives us what we need. Proposition 3. Let R be an integral domain that is not a PID. Then R has a non-principal prime ideal. Proof. By Proposition 2, R has a maximal non-principal ideal I . Suppose I is not prime. Then there exist x, y R such that xy I but x /I ,y / I . Let Ix = I + (x) and Iy = I + (y ). Since x / I , I is strictly contained in Ix . Therefore Ix must be a principal ideal, say (). Let J = {r R : rIx I }. Note that J is an ideal of R that contains Iy . So J is also principal, say J = ( ). Take any a I . Since I Ix = (), a = r for some r R. As rIx = r() I , r is in J . Thus a Ix J . As a I was arbitrary, we have I Ix J . On the other hand, by the very denition of J we have Ix J . Thus I = Ix J = ()( ) = ( ), a contradiction to I being non-principal. The argument for the Noetherian case is similar but a bit more involved. Proposition 4. Let R be a non-Noetherian commutative ring. Then R has a prime ideal which is not nitely generated. Proof. By Proposition 2, R has a maximal non-nitely-generated ideal I . Note that R/I is a Noetherian ring. (This is because every nonzero ideal of R/I is of the form J/I for some ideal J of R which strictly contains I . Therefore J must be nitely generated, hence J/I is nitely generated.) Suppose I is not a prime ideal. So there exist x, y R such that xy I but x / I, y / I . Let J1 = I + (x) and J2 = I + (y ). Here we have J1 J2 I , I J1 and I J2 . Consequently J1 and J2 are nitely generated ideals of R. Consider the R-module J1 /J1 J2 and its submodule I/J1 J2 . Since IJ1 J1 J2 , I annihilates J1 /J1 J2 . Therefore J1 /J1 J2 has also an R/I -module structure. Now since J1 is a nitely generated ideal of R, J1 /J1 J2 is a nitely generated R-module, hence also a nitely generated R/I -module. Finitely generated modules over Noetherian rings are Noetherian modules, thus J1 /J1 J2 is a Noetherian R/I -module. So its submodule I/J1 J2 is nitely generated as an R/I -module, hence as an R-module. But J1 J2 is also clearly a nitely generated R-module, which forces I to be nitely generated, a contradiction.
Department of Mathematics, Bilkent University, Bilkent, Ankara 06800, Turkey