MAT 444 H.

Barcelo Spring 2004

Homework 11 Solutions
Chapter 10 Section 7 Question: 4. Let R be a ring, and let I be an ideal of R. Let M be an ideal of R containing I, and let M = M / I be the corresponding ideal of R . Prove that M is maximal if and only if M is. Answer: Let I R . By the correspondence theorem, the ideals containing I are in one-to-one correspondence with the ideals of R = R / I . Moreover, by the 3rd isomorphism theorem if

an ideal J R corresponds to J R then R / J R / J . We have that M is an ideal of R that contains I, thus R / M R / M where M = ( M ) the canonical projection of M in R . But M is maximal R / M is a field
R / M is a field M is maximal. Question: 7. Prove that the ring F2 [ x] /( x3 + x + 1) is a field, but that F3 [ x] /( x 3 + x + 1) is not a field. Answer: To show that F2 [ x] /( x3 + x + 1) is a field we must show that ( x 3 + x + 1) is maximal. Using the sieve of Eratosthenes we see (Artins book p. 403-404) that x3 + x + 1 is an irreducible polynomial in F2 [ x] . Since F2 is a field, all ideals of F2 [ x] are principal ideals. Moreover, since x3 + x + 1 is an irreducible polynomial, then the ideal ( x 3 + x + 1) is maximal. b) In F3 [ x] x 3 + x + 1 = ( x + 2) ( x 2 + x + 2) . Hence, ( x 3 + x + 1) ( x + 2) F3 [ x]

which implies that F3 [ x] /( x 3 + x + 1) is not a field.

Question: 9. Define a bijective correspondence between maximal ideals of half plane.

[ x] and points in the upper

Answer: First we must describe all possible maximal ideals of [ x] . They are the principal ideals generated by monic irreducible polynomials over . The monic irreducible polynomials are the ones of degree 1 and 2 of the form: ( x a ) and ( x b) 2 + c 2 , for if over x 2 + dx + e is irreducible over , it has 2 complex conjugate roots b + ci and b ci and ( x (b + ci ) ( x (b ci ) = ( x b) 2 + c 2 . The bijective correspondence is

MAT 444 Barcelo Homework 11

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(a, 0) ( x a) and

a and c > 0

(b, c) (( x b) 2 + c 2 ) b, c

Question: 10. Let R be a ring, with M and ideal of R. Suppose that every element of R which is not in M is a unit of R. Prove that M is a maximal ideal and that moreover it is the only maximal ideal of R. Answer: If N is an ideal containing M and N M , then N must contain an element with M is a unit. Thus, N is an ideal containing a unit N = R . Hence M is a maximal ideal.

Next, let I be any ideal in R which is not equal to M. If I M I is not maximal by definition. If I M then there exists I with M . Again this implies that is a unit I = R I is not maximal. Hence, M is the only maximal ideal in R.
Question: 11. Let P be an ideal of a ring R. Prove that R = R / P is an integral domain if and only if P R , and that if a, b R and ab P , then a P or b P . (An ideal P satisfying these conditions is called a prime ideal.) Answer: See Test 4s solutions!

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