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The height of a prime ideal $P$ is

The Krull principal ideal theorem states that if $R$ is Noetherian and $P$ is minimal among the primes containing a proper principal ideal $(a)$, thenSuppose otherwise that $P_0⊊Q⊊P$. Quotient by $P_0$ and localize at $P$; it is enough to consider a Noetherian local domain whose maximal ideal $P$ is the only prime containing $(a)$ and which has $0⊊Q⊊P$.

For $n\ge 1$, putThis is a $Q$-primary ideal. Since $R/(a)$ is a zero-dimensional Noetherian ring, it is Artinian, and the descending chain $(Q^{(n)}+(a))/(a)$ eventually stabilizes. Thus, for all sufficiently large $n$, every $q_n\in Q^{(n)}$ can be writtenNow $ra\in Q^{(n)}$, while $a\notin Q$; $Q$-primaryness gives $r\in Q^{(n)}$. HenceThe Nakayama lemma applied to $Q^{(n)}/Q^{(n+1)}$ gives $Q^{(n)}=Q^{(n+1)}$. Localizing at $Q$ makes all sufficiently large powers of the nonzero maximal ideal $Q{R}_Q$ equal. A nonzero element of the stable power then belongs to ${\bigcap }_n{Q}^n{R}_Q$, contradicting the Krull intersection theorem. This proves the theorem.

Now let $R$ be a Noetherian integral domain. If $R$ is a unique factorization domain and $P$ has height one, choose $0\ne x\in P$ and an irreducible factor $p$ of $x$. In a UFD, $p$ is prime, soHeight one forces $P=(p)$.

Conversely, suppose every height-one prime is principal. Noetherianity makes $R$ an atomic domain. Given an irreducible element $p$, choose a prime $P$ minimal over $(p)$. The principal ideal theorem gives $\mathrm{ht}P=1$, so $P=(q)$ by hypothesis. Since $p=qr$ and $p$ is irreducible, $r$ is a unit; hence $(p)=P$ is prime. Thus every irreducible is a prime element, and an atomic domain with this property is a UFD. Therefore

Assume that $p$ is a prime element. If $p=ab$, then $p$ divides $ab$, so $p$ divides $a$ or $b$. If $p\mid a$, write $a=pc$; cancellation in the integral domain gives $1=bc$, so $b$ is a unit. The other case is symmetric. Hence every prime element is irreducible.

Suppose first that $A$ is a unique factorization domain, and let $\mathfrak{p}$ be a minimal nonzero prime ideal. Choose $0\ne a\in \mathfrak{p}$ and factor it into irreducibles. In a UFD each irreducible is a prime element, so one factor $\pi$ belongs to $\mathfrak{p}$. The nonzero prime ideal $(\pi )\subseteq \mathfrak{p}$ must equal $\mathfrak{p}$ by minimality.

Conversely, the ascending chain condition in the Noetherian domain implies that every nonzero nonunit factors into irreducibles. Let $\pi$ be irreducible and choose a prime $\mathfrak{p}$ minimal over $(\pi )$. The Krull principal ideal theorem gives $\mathrm{ht}\mathfrak{p}\le 1$. Since $A$ is a domain and $\mathfrak{p}\ne (0)$, it is a minimal nonzero prime and hence is principal, say $\mathfrak{p}=(q)$. The divisibility $q\mid \pi$ and irreducibility of $\pi$ force $q$ to be associate to $\pi$, so $(\pi )=\mathfrak{p}$ is prime. Thus every irreducible is prime, proving that $A$ is a UFD. This is the Minimal-prime criterion for a Noetherian unique factorization domain.

Since ${\omega }^2=-1-\omega$, products of integer linear combinations of $1,\omega$ remain of the same form. Thus the Eisenstein integers $E=\mathbb{Z}[\omega ]$ form a subring of $\mathbb{C}$, and hence an integral domain. Their Eisenstein norm isIt is a positive integer on nonzero elements and is multiplicative, because the complex modulus is multiplicative.

For $\alpha ,\beta \in E$ with $\beta \ne 0$, write $\alpha /\beta =u+v\omega$ with real $u,v$. Choose integers $m,n$ with $|u-m|,|v-n|\le 1/2$, and let $q=m+n\omega$. With $s=u-m$ and $t=v-n$,Consequently $r=\alpha -q\beta$ belongs to $E$ and satisfies $N(r)\le \frac{3}{4}N(\beta )<N(\beta )$ when $r\ne 0$. This proves $E$ is a Euclidean domain with Euclidean function $N$, the Euclidean norm on the Eisenstein integers.

For the representation of the prime $p$, first note that $3=N(1-\omega )$. Now suppose $p>3$ and $p\mid n^2+3$. The factorizationshows that the Eisenstein integer $p$ divides a product. It divides neither factor: an element $a+b\omega$ lies in $pE$ exactly when both integer coefficients are divisible by $p$, and the second coefficients here are $2$ and $-2$. Hence $p$ is not a prime element of $E$.

To justify the necessary factorization step, in any principal ideal domain an irreducible element $\pi$ is prime. If $\pi \nmid a$, write $(\pi ,a)=(d)$. Since $d\mid \pi$, irreducibility makes $d$ a unit or an associate of $\pi$. The latter would give $\pi \mid a$, so $d$ is a unit and $u\pi +va=1$ for some $u,v$. If $\pi \mid ab$, multiplication of this identity by $b$ gives $\pi \mid b$. This proves irreducible elements of a principal ideal domain are prime without assuming unique factorization.

By part (a), $E$ is a principal ideal domain. The integer $p$ has norm $p^2>1$, so it is a nonzero nonunit. Since it is not prime, the result just proved implies that it is reducible: $p=uv$ with $u,v$ both nonunits. A nonzero element of $E$ is a unit exactly when its norm is one, since $N(z)=1$ gives inverse $\overline{z}$ and multiplicativity proves the converse. ThusThe only possible positive integer factors exceeding one are $N(u)=N(v)=p$. Writing $u=a+b\omega$ givesThis is the prime representation by the Eisenstein norm argument.

Regard $\mathbb{R}[X,Y]$ as the polynomial ring $(\mathbb{R}[X])[Y]$. The coefficient ring $\mathbb{R}[X]$ is a Euclidean domain, hence a principal ideal domain. The element $X$ is a prime element: the quotient ring $\mathbb{R}[X]/(X)\cong \mathbb{R}$ is an integral domain.

The monic polynomial $Y^2+X$ has its other coefficients divisible by $X$, while $X^2\nmid X$. Part (a)(i), with $X$ playing the role of $p$ and $Y$ the indeterminate, proves that $Y^2+X$ is an irreducible polynomial.

Now use the automorphism of a polynomial ringIts inverse fixes $X$ and sends $Y$ to $Y-1$. A ring isomorphism preserves units and factorizations, hence preserves irreducible elements. Sincewe obtainApplying the Eisenstein criterion directly to the second expression with the prime element $X$ would fail, since $X\nmid 2$; the change of indeterminate supplies the required argument.

We prove the stated Eisenstein criterion directly. Assume $n\ge 1$. Suppose $f=gh$ in the polynomial ring $R[X]$. Since the principal ideal domain $R$ is an integral domain, polynomial degree is additive under polynomial multiplication, and the product of the leading coefficients of $g,h$ is the leading coefficient $1$ of $f$. These two coefficients are therefore units. Multiplying $g$ and $h$ by inverse units, without changing their product, makes both factors monic polynomials.

If either factor is a constant polynomial, that factor is now $1$, so the original factor was a unit. It remains to rule out $r=\mathrm{deg}g>0$ and $s=\mathrm{deg}h>0$.

The prime element $p$ generates a maximal ideal in the principal ideal domain $R$. Indeed, if $(p)\subseteq (d)$, then $p=de$, and the irreducible element property of $p$ forces either $(d)=R$ or $(d)=(p)$. Consequently $k=R/(p)$ is a field. Apply reduction modulo an ideal to every coefficient. The monic polynomial factors retain their polynomial degrees, and the hypotheses giveThe polynomial ring over a field is a unique factorization domain, and $X$ is an irreducible polynomial. Thus its only monic polynomial divisors in $X^n$ are powers of $X$. Hence $\overline{g}=X^r$ and $\overline{h}=X^s$. Both have zero constant term, so $p\mid g(0)$ and $p\mid h(0)$. This gives $p^2\mid g(0)h(0)=a_0$, a contradiction.

The monic polynomial $f$ has positive polynomial degree, so it is a nonzero nonunit. Every factorization therefore has a unit factor, proving

No such property exists. The ring isomorphism in part (b)(ii) identifies quotient rings by elements having different irreducible element behaviour.

The element $X^3$ is an irreducible element of $T$. It is nonzero and a nonunit. Every nonzero nonunit of $T$ has polynomial degree at least $2$: the only possible polynomials of smaller polynomial degree are constant polynomials, and every nonzero constant polynomial is a unit. If $X^3=uv$ with $u,v\in T$ both nonunits, additivity of polynomial degree in the integral domain $\mathbb{R}[X]$ would givewhich is impossible. Thus one factor must be a unit.

In $\mathbb{R}[Y]$, however, $Y^3=Y\cdot Y^2$ is a product of two nonunits, so $Y^3$ is not an irreducible element. If a ring isomorphism invariant $P$ characterized irreducible elements by the indicated quotient ring, the irreducible element $X^3\in T$ would imply that $T/(X^3{)}_T$ has $P$. Its isomorphic quotient ring $\mathbb{R}[Y]/(Y^3)$ would then have $P$, incorrectly making $Y^3\in \mathbb{R}[Y]$ an irreducible element.

Consequently,

Every multiple of $x_1\cdots x_r$ is a multiple of each $x_j$, giving one inclusion. For the reverse inclusion, a principal ideal domain is a unique factorization domain, so each irreducible element $x_j$ is a prime element.

Let $a\in {\bigcap }_{j=1}^r(x_j)$. The case $a=0$ is immediate. Otherwise, write $a=x_{1}b$. Since $x_2\mid a$ and the prime element $x_2$ cannot divide the non-associate irreducible element $x_1$, it divides $b$. Write $a=x_1{x}_2{b}_2$, and repeat. At stage $j$, the prime element $x_j$ divides none of $x_1,\dots ,x_{j-1}$, so it divides the remaining factor. Hence $x_1\cdots x_r\mid a$, proving

Since the irreducible element $x$ is not a unit, the principal ideal $(x)$ is proper. Suppose $(x)\subseteq J\subseteq R$. As $R$ is a principal ideal domain, write $J=(d)$. Then $x=dr$ for some $r\in R$. The definition of an irreducible element says that $d$ or $r$ is a unit.

If $d$ is a unit, then $J=R$. If $r$ is a unit, then $d$ and $x$ are associate elements, so $J=(x)$. Thus $(x)$ is a maximal ideal. By the permitted criterion that a quotient ring by a maximal ideal is a field,

Every nonzero nonunit in a unique factorization domain is a finite product of irreducible elements. Such a factorization is unique up to permutation and multiplication of the factors by units. Irreducibles are prime elements, so divisibility can be checked by comparing their multiplicities. This applies to a polynomial ring over a field and is useful for intersections of localizations inside its fraction field.