Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2015/iii/paper-1/2/ii/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 iii Paper 1 2 ii Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Use the convention that a multiplicative subset contains and is closed under multiplication. Usually is excluded; allowing it gives the harmless zero-ring localization. A prime ideal disjoint from is mapped toin the localization of a ring. This ideal is proper, andis an integral domain, since the denominators are nonzero in the integral domain . Thus is a prime ideal.
Conversely, for a prime ideal in , its contractionis a prime ideal disjoint from : each is a unit and cannot belong to a proper ideal. Membership in is equivalent to numerator membership in , since . Hence .
To check the other composite, implies for some , by the equality criterion for fractions in a localization of a ring. Since , primality gives . Therefore extension and contraction are mutually inverse:If , both sets are empty. This is the prime ideal correspondence for localization.
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