MAT 444 Test 4 Instructor: Helene Barcelo April 19, 2004

Name:




You can take up to 2 hours for completing this exam.
Close book, notes and calculator.
Do not use your own scratch paper.
Write each solution in the space provided, not on scratch paper.
If you need more room, write on the back of the page. If you still need more room, ask for
scratch paper.
Show your reasoning on all problems; do not simply write an answer.
Your solutions must be complete and organized, otherwise points may be deducted.
Do all 6 problems. There are a total of 75 points.

MAT 444 Barcelo
Test 4 Page 2
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1. (10 points) True-False. Give a brief reason (no detailed proofs) for each answer.
(a) R is the field of fractions of Z.

FALSE
The field of fraction of is Z .

(b) C is the field of fractions of R.

FALSE
R is its own field of fraction.

(c) 3 6 x is irreducible over .

TRUE
3 6 3( 2) x x = and 3 is a unit in .

(d) A polynomial f(x) of degree n with coefficients in a field F can have at most n zeros in F.

TRUE
Since F is a field, is a root ( ) F x is a factor of ( ) f x . So if degree
( ) f x n = there are at most n roots since there are no zero divisors in F.

(e) A polynomial ( ) f x of degree n with coefficients in a field F can have at most n zeros in
any given field E such that F E .

TRUE
A similar argument hold, E is a root ( ) x a divides ( ) f x .

(f) is an ideal in R.

FALSE
{ | } ra r a R

(g) Every ideal in a ring is a subring of the ring.

TRUE
If we do not require to have a 1 in the definition of a ring.

FALSE
If we use Artins definition of a ring.
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(h) If D is an integral domain, then D[x] is an integral domain.

TRUE
Since D is an integral domain ( ) ( ) 0 ( ) 0 or ( ) 0 p x q x p x q x = , since
deg ( ) ( ) deg ( ) deg ( ) p x q x p x q x = + .

(i) If R is any ring and ( ) and ( ) in [ ] f x g x R x are of degrees 3 and 4, respectively, then
( ) ( ) f x g x is always of degree 7.

FALSE
Consider
6
[ ] x Z . Then
3 4 3
2 3 0 but 2 0 x x x and
4
3 0 x in
7
[ ] x Z .

(j) If R is a ring, then x is never a zero divisor in [ ] R x .

True
[ ] R x can be viewed as adjoining an element to R with only the relation that 0.x = 0.


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2. An ideal P R in a commutative ring R with unity is a prime ideal if ab P implies that
either a P of b P for , a b R .

(a) (5 points) Show that {0} Z is a prime ideal of Z Z.

Done in class.



(b) (5 points) Let P R be an ideal of a commutative ring R with unity. Prove that
/ R P is an integral domain if and only if P is a prime ideal.

Done in class.
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3. (10 points) Let [ ] R = Z be the ring obtained from Z by adjoining an element that
satisfies the relation
2
2 0 a = , and let [ ] S = Z be the ring obtained from Z by joining an
element that satisfies the relation
2
3 0 = .

(a) Describe both rings R and S.

[ ] [ 2] and [ ] [ 3] Z Z Z Z






(b) Prove that R and S are not isomorphic rings.

We have that
2
[ ] /( 2) R x x Z

3
and [ ] /( 2) S x x Z
If R S then any isomorphism : R S is such that (1 ) 1 . But 1 1 1
R s R S
= = = ,
thus ( ) n n n = Z . But 2 2 2 ( 2) ( 2) 2 = = where
( 2) 3 , a b a b = + Z.
( )
2
2 2 2 2
3 2 3 3 2 3 2 a b a ab b a b + = + + = + =
and 2 3 0 0 or 0 ab a b = = = . But this is impossible, for if
2
0 3 2 a b = =
which has no solution in
2
, if 0 then 2 b a = = Z which does not have any solution in
Z either.
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4. Let [ 6] R = Z .
(a) (5 points) Prove that the only units of R are 1 .

6 a b + is a unit
2
2 2
6 6 1 a b a b + = + = i.e. if 0 and 1 b a = = .

(b) (5 points) Prove that R is not a unique factorization domain by finding two different
factorizations of 10.

( )( )
10 2.5 2 6 2 6 = = + .
Note that no elements of [ 6] Z have length 5, since
2 2
6 5 a b + = is clearly impossible.
Hence, 2 6 and 2 6 + are irreducible, since each have length 10 and any
decomposition would involve an element of length 5. Similarly, 5 has length 25 and is
irreducible. Moreover,
2 2
6 2 a b + = is impossible, so no element can have length 2, and
hence 2 (of length 4) is irreducible.

(c) (5 points) Find an example of an irreducible element that is not prime.

2 6 + is irreducible but not prime, for it divides 10 but does not divide either 2 or 5.

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5. (5 points) Find all c Z such that
3 2
3
[ ] /( 1) x x cx + + Z is a field.


3 2
3
[ ] /( 1) x x cx + + Z is a field
3 2
( 1) x cx + + is a maximal ideal
3 2
1 x cx + + is an
irreducible polynomial.

if 0 c = then
3
1 x + has a root 1 2mod3 x = = thus
3
1 x + is reducible over
3
Z
if 1 c =
3 2
1 x x + + has a root 1 x = , so it is reducible over
3
Z
if 2 c =
3 2
2 1 0 0, 1, 2 x x x + + = hence
3 2
2 1 x x + + is irreducible over
3
Z .
Hence for all
3 2
3
2(mod3) , [ ] /( 1) c x x cx = + + Z is a field.

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6. (5 points) Show that the characteristic of an integral domain D must be either 0 or a prime p.
(Hint: what would happen if the characteristic of D was mn?


Consider (1 ) 1 1
D D D
n D = + + . If (1 ) 0
D
n n Z then characteristic of 0 D = .
Otherwise, there exist such that (1 ) 0
D
n n = N . Let
0
n be the smallest such n. Claim
0
n is a prime integer. Suppose not, then
0 0
, , 1 n km m n k m = < >

times times
(1 ) 0 (1 1 ) (1 1 ) 0
D D D D D
k m
km = + + + + =
_ _



times times
Let (1 1 ) and (1 1 )
D D D D
k m
a b + + = + + =
_ _

Since D is an integral domain, then 0 0 ab a = = or 0 b = . In either case this violates
the minimality of
0
n .