Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-commutative-algebra-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2023/3/e/solution

Set , a quotient module. The exactness of localization gives, for every maximal ideal ,
If , the hypothesis makes this quotient module zero. If , choose . Its image in is a unit, so and the displayed quotient module is again zero. Thus
For completeness, if , its annihilator is a proper ideal, and hence lies in a maximal ideal . The vanishing criterion in a module localization shows in : any element annihilating lies inside . This contradicts the vanishing just proved. Hence , and
The use of localization detects zero elements is valid for every module; neither finite generation nor a Noetherian hypothesis is needed.

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