Tutorial - Rings and Fields

Problem Sheet
R denotes a commutative ring containing 1.
(1)
(a) What are the prime ideals in Z.
(b) Every non-zero prime ideal in Z is the maximal ideal.
(2) Let R be a finite commutative ring with unity. Prove that every prime ideals are
maximal ideals.
(3) True or False? Give reasons for your answers.

(a) Is the quotient of an integral domain necessarily an integral domain ?
(b) Let R be a ring and let k be a field. Let φ : R → k be a homomorphism. Then
ker(φ) is a maximal ideal of R.
(c) Let R be a ring and let k be a field. Let φ : R → k be an onto homomorphism.
Then ker(φ) is a maximal ideal of R.
(d) Let R be a ring and let S be a domain. Let φ : R → S be a homomorphism.
Then ker(φ) is a prime ideal of R.
(4) Let R be a ring, and let f, g : Q → R be two ring homomorphisms (we are not
assuming that R has an identity, and even if it does, we do not assume that f and
g are unital homomorphisms). Show that if f |Z = g|Z (that is, f (n) = g(n) for all
integers n), then f = g.
(5) Let R be a ring. Show that the following conditions are equivalent:
(a) R is a commutative ring
(b) (a + b)(a − b) = a2 − b2 for every a, b ∈ R
(c) (a + b)2 = a2 + 2ab + b2 for every a, b ∈ R
(6) Let n ∈ N, let R be a ring and M (n, R) be the set of n × n matrices with entries in
R.
(a) Prove that M (n, R) with matrix addition and matrix multiplication is a ring.
(b) Prove that if n > 1 then the ring M (n, R) is commutative if and only if ab = 0
for all a, b ∈ R.
(c) If R is a unital ring, prove that M (n, R) is also a unital ring.
1
(7) Let R be a ring. An element r ∈ R is nilpotent if and only if there exists a positive
integer n such that rn = 0. Prove that if ab = ba and a and b are nilpotent, then
(a + b) is nilpotent.
(a) Show that if R is a commutative ring, then the set of all nilpotent elements of
R is an ideal of R.
(b) Give an example of a noncommutative ring R and elements a and b in R such
that each of a and b is nilpotent, but ab is not nilpotent. Hint: Use matrices.
(8) Let R be a commutative ring. Given a subset E ⊆ R, let

√
E = {r ∈ R | there exists n > 0 such that rn ∈ A}.
√
Prove that if I is an ideal, then I is an ideal of R that contains I. Show that if p
√
is a prime ideal, then p = p.
√
(9) In k[x, y] find I for the following ideals;
(a) I = (x3 , y 2 )
(b) I = (xy)
(c) I = (x3 , x2 y, xy 2 , y 3 )
(10) Prove or give counterexample:

(a) the intersection of two prime ideals is prime.
(b) If p1 and p2 are prime ideals, then p1 + p2 is a prime ideals.
(11)
(a) Let I = (x1 x2 , x2 x3 ) = p1 ∩ · · · ∩ pk . What pi ?
(b) Let I = (x1 x2 , x2 x3 , x3 x4 , x4 x1 ) = p1 ∩ · · · ∩ pr . What pi ?
(c) Let I = (x1 x2 , x2 x3 , x3 x4 , x4 x5 , x5 x1 ) = p1 ∩ · · · ∩ ps . What pi ?
(12)
(a) Prove that R[x]/(x2 + 1) ' C.
(b) Prove that Z[i]/(2 − i) ' Z5 .
(13) Prove that (x, 2) is not a principal ideal in Z[x]. Hence Z[x] is an intergral domain
but not a PID.
(14) If F is a field, then F [X] is a PID.
(15) Let F be a field and let I be an ideal of the polynomial ring F [x]. Then
2
(a) I is maximal if and only if I = (g(x)) for some irreducible polynomial g(x) in
F [x].
(b) I is prime if and only if I = {0} or I = (g(x)) for an irreducible g(x) ∈ F [x].
(16) Prove that the maximal ideals of C[x] are in a one-to-one correspondence with points
of C, i.e., there is a bijection between the set of maximal ideals in C[x] and C.
(17) Prove that if a ∈ R is nilpotent, then 1 + a is a unit.
(18) The set C[0, 1] of real-valued continuous functions on the closed interval [0, 1]. Set
R = C[0, 1].
(a) Prove that R is ring under pointwise addition and multiplication i.e.,
(f + g) : (x) → f (x) + g(x), (f.g) : x → f (x)g(x).
(b) Prove that R is not an integral domain.
(c) Let Ia = {f ∈ R | f (a) = 0}, where a ∈ [0, 1]. Prove that Ia is an ideal?
(d) Prove that Ia is a maximal ideal of R. Prove that if m is a maximal ideal of R,
then there exists an a ∈ [0, 1] such that m = Ia .
(e) Prove that R is not Noetherian.
(19) For a prime ideal P of R, the height of P , denoted by ht(P ) is defined by ht(P ) =
sup{r | there exists a chain P0 ⊂ P1 ⊂ · · · ⊂ Pr = P, where Pi0 s are prime ideals in R}.
(y,z)
Let R = K[x,y,z]
(xy,yz)
and P = (xy,yz) . Find ht(P )?
Find a chain in Spec(R) of (i) length 0, (ii) length 1, (iii) length 2.
(20) The Krull dimension of R is defined by dim R := sup{ht(P ) | P is a prime ideal of R}.
Find dim Z?, dim Q?, dim C?

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Problem Sheet

R denotes a commutative ring containing 1.

(3) True or False? Give reasons for your answers.

(8) Let R be a commutative ring. Given a subset E ⊆ R, let

(10) Prove or give counterexample:

(14) If F is a field, then F [X] is a PID.

(17) Prove that if a ∈ R is nilpotent, then 1 + a is a unit.

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