Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 ib Paper 1 10E a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
We prove prime avoidance by contradiction. Remove any prime ideal contained in another one on the list; this leaves the same union. If the ideal is contained in none of the remaining prime ideals, choose . For every , incomparability lets us choose . SetFor a one-element list, use the empty product . By the defining property of a prime ideal, , and also . But for every . Thus all summands except lie in , and consequently for every . On the other hand, because each . This contradicts the assumed containment in the union. Therefore
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 ib Paper 4 11E a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
Work with the usual commutative unital Noetherian ring convention. First prove that every submodule of is a finitely generated module. For , a submodule is an ideal, hence finitely generated by Noetherianity. For the induction step, project a submodule onto its last coordinate. Its image is a finitely generated ideal; choose lifts in of its generators. The projection kernel lies in and is finitely generated by induction. The kernel generators together with the chosen lifts generate , since subtracting a combination of the lifts leaves an element of the kernel.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 ib Paper 4 11E b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
Let be maximal among annihilators of nonzero elements of . It is a proper ideal, since . Suppose and . Then andThe inclusion holds because every satisfies . Maximality in the stated set forces , so . This proves the defining implication for a prime ideal:This is a maximal annihilator of a module element is prime argument. Maximality among element annihilators is sufficient; need not be a maximal ideal of .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 101 1 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
The Laurent polynomial ring is a localization of a ring:The Hilbert basis theorem makes a Noetherian ring, and Localization of a Noetherian ring preserves this property. Thus .
For separating finite Laurent support by an integer weight, take a nonzero Laurent polynomial and let be its finite set of exponent pairs with nonzero coefficients. Choose an integer such thatwhere the maximum is zero if has only one member. Set . If , thenso and then . Consequently all powers of in are distinct. The linear independence of the Laurent monomials prevents cancellation, givingThe choice depends on the finite support of ; a single fixed substitution need not detect every nonzero element.
For Noetherianity of subalgebras of a one-variable Laurent polynomial ring, let be a unital -subalgebra of . If , it is already a Noetherian ring. Otherwise we find a nonconstant and an ambient ring containing such that is a finitely generated module over .
If , choose a nonconstant polynomial in , where . Then is an integral element over , since it satisfies the monic polynomial equationThus is a finitely generated module over , generated by . The case is identical after replacing by .
In the remaining case is contained in neither of these two polynomial rings. There is an element with a positive exponent and an element with a negative exponent. If either already has both, use it as . Otherwise their sum has both, since the positive powers of the first and the negative powers of the second cannot cancel. We obtainMultiplying this identity by gives a polynomial equation for with leading coefficient :Dividing by makes it monic. Similarly, multiplication by gives a monic equation for after division by . Both generators are therefore integral elements over , so is a finitely generated module over .
In all three cases is a Noetherian ring, as a quotient of a one-variable polynomial ring. The subalgebra is also a -submodule, so it is a Noetherian module. Every ideal of is a -submodule of and is therefore finitely generated over , hence over . This proves
For the final request, take the following subalgebra of the two-variable Laurent polynomial ring:Let , an ideal of . We haveas -vector spaces. In particular, the classes of , for , are linearly independent. If had finitely many generators as an -module, their classes would span over , contradicting its infinite dimension. Hence is not finitely generated and is not a Noetherian ring. This illustrates why the preceding result is special to one Laurent variable.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 101 2 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
The Weak Hilbert Nullstellensatz states that if is an algebraically closed field, every maximal ideal of isEquivalently, every proper ideal has a common zero. We prove the more general field statement, the Zariski lemma: a field finitely generated as a -algebra is a finite field extension of .
Write such a field as . Choose a maximal set of algebraically independent elements among these generators and denote the remaining generators by . Each is an algebraic element over , so is a finite field extension. Clearing the denominators in their monic equations, choose a nonzero such that each is an integral element overBecause is a field and , we have . Thus is an integral extension of .
A subring over which a field is integral must itself be a field. Indeed, for , an integral equation for multiplied by expresses as an element of . But if , the ring is not a field: choose an irreducible polynomial which does not divide . There are infinitely many monic irreducible polynomials in , by the usual product-plus-one argument, whereas only finitely many can divide the nonzero . The prime ideal stays proper after inverting , so has no inverse in . Therefore , proving that is a finite field extension, and in particular an algebraic field extension.
Apply the Zariski lemma to the residue field of a maximal ideal. When is an algebraically closed field, this field is itself. The images of then give , proving the Weak Hilbert Nullstellensatz.
For the real Laurent polynomial ring, the same argument applies because it is the finitely generated algebraEvery residue field at a maximal ideal is consequently a finite field extension of , and so is or . Here we use the fundamental theorem of algebra, which makes the algebraic closure of of degree two. The images of must be nonzero since these elements are units. It follows that the answer iswith and defining the same maximal ideal. If both coordinates are real, evaluation has image ; otherwise its image is . Thus every displayed kernel is maximal, and the Zariski lemma shows that this list is exhaustive.
For explicit generating sets of an ideal, there are three cases. For real nonzero ,If and with ,If with and , thenThe last two quotients are ; the nonzero coordinate condition ensures that the Laurent inverses exist in them. There are no further coincidences in the classification: equal kernels induce an -isomorphism between the evaluation image fields. The only -automorphisms of are the identity and complex conjugation, so the two pairs must agree or be conjugate.
To prove the intersection assertion, fix a prime ideal and an element . The integral domain has nonzero image . Its localization of a ring is nonzero and still a finitely generated algebra over , so it has a maximal ideal . By the Zariski lemma, the field is finite over .
The image of in is a subring containing and is a finite-dimensional -vector space. It is an integral domain, hence a field: multiplication by any nonzero element is an injective linear map of a finite-dimensional vector space and therefore surjective. The kernel of is thus a maximal ideal which avoids , since is invertible in . Its inverse image in is a maximal ideal containing but avoiding . As this works for every ,This is the Jacobson ring property for this Laurent polynomial ring.
For a nonzero finitely generated module , its set of associated primes isHere is the annihilator of the element. The Laurent polynomial ring is a Noetherian ring, so the nonempty collection of annihilators of nonzero elements of has a maximal member, say . It is proper because .
If and , then andMaximality forces , hence . Thus is a prime ideal, proving . This argument in fact only needs that is Noetherian, not the finite generation of .
A proper ideal is -primary when its radical of an ideal is andEquivalently, and imply ; equivalently, every zero divisor of is nilpotent. These formulations distinguish the actual primary ideal property from the weaker assertion that there is only one minimal prime ideal.
For the final example, set and . ThenSince is an integral domain, is a prime ideal. Moreover and , so . Consequently is the unique minimal prime ideal over .
Nevertheless , while and no power of belongs to . For the first assertion, reduce modulo : the image of is in , and is not a multiple of because is a nonunit in this integral domain. For the second, , so for every . Thus is not a -primary ideal: a unique minimal prime does not imply primary. In , the nonzero class of is killed by , a zero divisor which is not nilpotent.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 101 4 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
An integral domain is an integrally closed domain if every element of its fraction field which is an integral element over belongs to . Explicitly, if satisfiesthen . Thus .
Suppose is a unique factorization domain and is integral, with , , and with no common irreducible element as a factor. Multiplying its monic equation by givesHence divides . Every irreducible element dividing is a prime element, so it would divide , contrary to the choice of the fraction. Therefore is a unit, and . We have proved
The going-down theorem is the following. Let be an integral extension of integral domains with an integrally closed domain. IfthenWe first prove this for a module-finite ring extension and then remove that extra hypothesis. We use the Lying-over theorem, the Going-up theorem, and the incomparability theorem for integral extensions: primes exist over every base prime, prime chains can be extended upwards, and distinct primes over the same base prime cannot contain one another. The Going-up theorem follows by applying the Lying-over theorem to the quotient by the lower prime. These results concern arbitrary integral extensions; none assumes the going-down theorem.
For the finite case, let and . Since is module-finite, is a finite field extension. Take a finite normal field extension containing , obtained as a splitting field of the minimal polynomials of finitely many field generators. The extension need not be a separable field extension. Let be the integral closure of in . Then , and is integral over both and .
We need one auxiliary fact: the finite group acts transitively on the prime ideals of over any fixed prime ideal of . First observe that an element fixed by all of is a purely inseparable algebraic element over . Indeed, all -embeddings of into an algebraic closure extend to -automorphisms of the normal field extension . Hence the minimal polynomial of an algebraic element has only one distinct root. In characteristic zero this says ; in characteristic it says for some .
Now let be primes of over , and suppose is different from every , . By the incomparability theorem for integral extensions, is contained in none of these conjugate primes. The prime avoidance lemma suppliesThe productis fixed by , is integral over , and lies in because one factor is . Choose an exponent equal to in characteristic zero, or a power of in characteristic , such that . Since is an integrally closed domain, . It also lies in , hence in . Because is a prime ideal, some factor lies in . This means , contradicting our choice. Thus for some , proving transitivity. The power accounts for the possible purely inseparable field extension and makes the argument valid in every characteristic.
Lift the prescribed to a prime of by the Lying-over theorem for . Separately, choose a prime over and use the Going-up theorem to find over . Transitivity gives with . ThenContracting to gives with the required contraction. This proves the going-down theorem for the module-finite case.
For a general integral extension , consider and the idealWe claim that is disjoint from . Otherwise, clearing the finitely many denominators in an expression for an element givesThe subalgebra is a module-finite ring extension of , since all its generators are integral elements. Apply the finite case to : there is a prime contracting to . The displayed identity puts in , but . Thus , a contradiction.
Localize further at the multiplicative subset . The extension of is a proper ideal, by the disjointness just proved. Choose a maximal ideal containing it and contract back to a prime ideal of . This prime contains and avoids . Its contraction to lies inside by the prime ideal correspondence for localization, and its contraction to is exactly . This completes the proof of the going-down theorem without any finite generation assumption on .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 101 5 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
The Artin-Rees lemma states that, for a Noetherian ring , an ideal , a finitely generated module , and a submodule , there is such thatThus the filtration on induced from the I-adic filtration of is eventually determined by one of its terms.
For the proof, form the Rees ring and its Rees module:Since is a Noetherian ring, write . Then , so it is a Noetherian ring by the Hilbert basis theorem. Generators of in degree zero generate as a module over , so this is a Noetherian module.
The graded submoduleis therefore finitely generated. Choose homogeneous generators with for some . For , taking degree- components givesThe same generators show that the final sum is exactly . This proves the Artin-Rees lemma. If , one may simply take .
Now letIt is a submodule of the Noetherian module , hence a finitely generated module. Apply the Artin-Rees lemma with and . Since is contained in every (including ), its conclusion reduces toWrite generators as . There is a matrix with entries in such that . Multiplication by the adjugate of shows thatThe determinant is congruent to modulo , so it is for some . This determinant trick produces a single such element annihilating all of , and in particular annihilating each . If , use .
Conversely, if with , then . Iterating gives for every . Hence the exact description isIn a local ring with contained in the maximal ideal, every is a unit, so this also yields the usual vanishing form of the Krull intersection theorem.
For a failure without the Noetherian ring hypothesis, let and use the semigroup algebraIts elements are finite sums of formal monomials , with multiplication . Each ring in the union is a polynomial ring and the inclusions are injective, so is an integral domain. It is not a Noetherian ring, sinceIndeed the generator on the left is the square of the next generator, while division in the opposite direction would require a negative exponent, which is unavailable in .
Let be the ideal of elements with zero constant term, equivalentlyIt is proper because taking the constant term gives . Every generator is , with , so . Thus this is a nonzero idempotent ideal, with for every . TakeFor every , the constant term of is , so . Since is an integral domain and , we have . This gives all three requested objects and proves that no element of the required form annihilates .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 102 1 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-07
Over the complex numbers, every finite-dimensional representation of a solvable Lie algebra has a basis in which every representing matrix is upper triangular. The Lie theorem is often stated first as the existence of a common eigenvector in every nonzero finite-dimensional Lie algebra representation of a solvable Lie algebra. Applying that assertion successively to quotient representations gives an invariant complete flag, and hence the upper triangular form. The same proof works over any algebraically closed field of characteristic zero.
We prove the common eigenvector assertion by induction on , writing the action as . The zero Lie algebra is immediate. If is solvable, its derived series of a Lie algebra shows that . Choose a codimension-one ideal of a Lie algebra containing , and choose . By induction there are and a linear functional such that for all .
Let be the span of . If , the first of these vectors form a basis, and is -invariant. We claim that for each ,For this is the definition of . For the induction step, use and . Applying the induction hypothesis to both and proves the claim. Consequently is -invariant, and every acts on by an upper triangular matrix with all diagonal entries .
Since both and preserve , the matrix trace of their commutator on is zero. The claim applied to givesHere characteristic zero is essential: in the field, so . Now the common weight spaceis nonzero and -invariant. Indeed, for ,An endomorphism of a nonzero finite-dimensional complex vector space has an eigenvector, so choose an eigenvector of in . It is a common eigenvector for . This proves the Lie theorem.
For the printed matrices in characteristic , , and there is no common eigenvector. Index the standard basis by . The cyclic entry in the PDF givesThe diagonal eigenvalues of are distinct in . Thus every eigenvector of is a scalar multiple of a single . Since , is never a scalar multiple of , proving the assertion even when is not an algebraically closed field.
For ,At the cyclic boundary,Hence . The two-dimensional Lie subalgebra has derived algebra , whose own derived algebra is zero, so it is solvable. It nevertheless has no common eigenvector, including after extending to its algebraic closure. This is a failure of Lie theorem in positive characteristic. In the proof above, the obstruction is precisely that can vanish as a scalar in .
The derived algebra of a complex solvable Lie algebra is nilpotent. First suppose . By the Lie theorem, put every element of in upper triangular form. The diagonal of a commutator of upper triangular matrices is zero, so consists of strictly upper triangular matrices. The Lie algebra of all such matrices is a nilpotent Lie algebra: if consists of matrices whose entries vanish whenever , thenTherefore the lower central series of a Lie algebra of reaches zero. Alternatively, every element of is a nilpotent linear map, and the Engel theorem states that a finite-dimensional Lie subalgebra consisting of nilpotent linear maps is a nilpotent Lie algebra.
For an abstract complex solvable Lie algebra , apply the preceding result to its Adjoint representation. The Lie algebra is nilpotent. Since is central in , some term of the lower central series of a Lie algebra of lies in that central ideal; the next term is zero. Thus itself is nilpotent.
Conversely, every nilpotent Lie algebra is solvable, since its derived series of a Lie algebra is contained term by term in its lower central series of a Lie algebra. If is nilpotent, it is therefore solvable, and is Abelian. More directly, the derived series of a Lie algebra of , after its first term, is the derived series of a Lie algebra of . Consequently the derived algebra nilpotence criterion is
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 102 3 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-07
Schur's lemma says that a nonzero intertwiner between irreducible representations is an isomorphism; over , every endomorphism of a finite-dimensional irreducible representation is scalar. To prove the Schur lemma, let be a intertwining operator between irreducible representations. Its kernel and image of a linear map are invariant. If , irreducibility forces and . This proves the first assertion over any field. In particular the endomorphisms of an irreducible representation form a division ring.
When is finite-dimensional over an algebraically closed field, an endomorphism has an eigenvalue . The endomorphism has nonzero kernel. By the first assertion it must be zero, so . Consequently, for complex finite-dimensional irreducible representations, the space of intertwining operators has dimension zero for nonisomorphic representations and dimension one for isomorphic representations.
Every finite-dimensional representation of a complex semisimple Lie algebra is completely reducible. We prove the Weyl complete reducibility theorem using the allowed Casimir operator facts, without assuming a splitting in advance. For dual bases with respect to the Killing form, the Casimir elementis central in the universal enveloping algebra. Hence its Casimir operator commutes with the action on every Lie algebra representation and is compatible with subrepresentations, quotient representations, and intertwining operators. On the trivial Lie algebra representation it acts by zero. On every nontrivial finite-dimensional Irreducible Lie algebra representation it acts by a nonzero scalar.
For clarity, the last fact can be expressed by the Casimir eigenvalue formula: on an irreducible with dominant integral weight , the scalar is , with the inner product induced by the Killing form and the half-sum of positive roots. On the real span of the weights this inner product is positive definite, and the scalar is positive for . For a semisimple Lie algebra with several simple factors the scalars add, so a nontrivial representation still gives a nonzero scalar. These are properties of the Casimir operator being used here.
First establish Casimir splitting of a trivial quotient. Supposeis a short exact sequence of finite-dimensional Lie algebra representations, with trivial quotient. The generalized eigenspaces of are invariant, soEach with maps to zero under : applying a sufficiently large power of and using gives . Thus .
Take a composition series of a module of . The Casimir operator is nilpotent on , so its scalar on every irreducible composition factor is zero. The stated Casimir operator property makes every such factor trivial. In a basis adapted to the composition series of a module, the image of on therefore consists of strictly upper triangular matrices, so that image is solvable. The allowed fact that a semisimple Lie algebra acts trivially on every one-dimensional representation implies that is a perfect Lie algebra: otherwise a nonzero linear functional on would define a nontrivial one-dimensional Lie algebra representation. Thus , and its image is consequently a perfect Lie algebra too. A perfect Lie algebra that is also a solvable Lie algebra is zero, since its derived series of a Lie algebra is constant until it vanishes. Hence acts trivially on . Choose with . The map is an invariant section, proving the split short exact sequence assertion.
Now let be any nonzero subrepresentation. On the Hom representation the action isConsider the invariant subspaceRestriction produces a short exact sequenceSurjectivity follows by extending to a linear map on . The quotient is trivial, because commutes with the action on . The preceding Casimir splitting of a trivial quotient yields an invariant with . Thusand is invariant. The zero subrepresentation also has a complement. Repeatedly splitting off an irreducible subrepresentation now gives a direct sum of irreducibles, proving the Weyl complete reducibility theorem.
A derivation of a Lie algebra is a linear map satisfying the Leibniz ruleThe space is a vector subspace of . Equip it with the commutator . Expanding the Leibniz rule twice givesSubtracting proves that is again a derivation of a Lie algebra. Antisymmetry and the Jacobi identity hold for the commutator in every associative endomorphism algebra, so this defines the derivation Lie algebra.
The Jacobi identity says that is a derivation of a Lie algebra. Moreover, for ,soThis makes an ideal of a Lie algebra in .
Finally suppose is semisimple. Let act on by . The Weyl complete reducibility theorem supplies an invariant complement to . For , invariance gives , while the ideal identity above gives . Their intersection is zero, so for every . The center of a Lie algebra of a semisimple Lie algebra is zero, hence for every , and . ThereforeEvery derivation of a Lie algebra is inner, and the element giving it is unique because the center of a Lie algebra vanishes.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ib Paper 2 11E b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Consider all ideals containing and disjoint from the nonempty multiplicative subset . This collection is nonempty because it contains . The ascending chain condition for the Noetherian ring gives a maximal member : otherwise repeatedly choosing a strictly larger member would give an infinite strictly ascending chain of ideals. Since is nonempty and misses it, .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ib Paper 2 2E a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
A unique factorization domain is an integral domain in which every nonzero nonunit is a finite product of irreducible elements, uniquely up to reordering and multiplication of factors by a unit in a ring. A principal ideal domain is an integral domain in which every ideal is generated by one element.
Gauss lemma for polynomials says that over a unique factorization domain , the product of two primitive polynomials is primitive, and the polynomial content satisfies up to a unit. In particular a primitive polynomial of positive degree is irreducible over exactly when it is irreducible over the fraction field of . Consequently a polynomial ring over a unique factorization domain is itself a unique factorization domain.
The Eisenstein criterion says that if has and there is a prime element with , for every , and , then is irreducible over the fraction field. If is primitive, it is also irreducible in . Over one may take to be an ordinary prime number. The primitivity qualification prevents a nonunit constant content from being overlooked.
The defining distinction is unique irreducible factorization versus generation of every ideal by one element.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ib Paper 2 2E b ii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
For the same pair, . Since is a unique factorization domain, Gauss lemma for polynomials proves that is a unique factorization domain.
To prove that is not a principal ideal domain, consider the ideal . A generator would divide 2 and . Divisibility of 2 forces to be a nonzero constant integer; divisibility of then forces that integer to divide its coefficient 1, so . This would make . But evaluation at followed by reduction modulo 2 maps every element of to zero and maps 1 to one. Hence , a contradiction. This is the integer polynomial ring is not a principal ideal domain example, with both clauses satisfied by a single inclusion.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ib Paper 2 2E b i Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Take and, for the next clause, its subring . Division with remainder makes a Euclidean domain, with the degree as Euclidean size for nonzero polynomials. For completeness, a nonzero ideal of contains a polynomial of least degree; division of any member by leaves a smaller-degree remainder in the ideal, so that remainder must vanish. The ideal is therefore ; the zero ideal is already principal. Thus is a principal ideal domain.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ib Paper 3 11E a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
A Euclidean domain is an integral domain with a function such that for each and there are with and either or . Some conventions add a multiplicative monotonicity condition; it is unnecessary for this implication.