Integer polynomial ring is not a principal ideal domain

ID: integer-polynomial-ring-is-not-a-principal-ideal-domain

The polynomial ring is a unique factorization domain by Gauss lemma for polynomials, but its ideal is not principal. Any generator would divide both 2 and , hence be a unit: a divisor of 2 has degree zero, and a constant dividing is . Yet evaluation at zero followed by reduction modulo 2 annihilates the ideal and not 1. It embeds in the principal ideal domain , illustrating that the property need not pass to a subring.

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