Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2004 iii Paper 1 3 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Use generators with . The ordered monomials form a basis: construct the Weyl algebra as the differential Ore extension of with , which has unique ordered polynomial expressions. Giving both generators degree one produces the Bernstein filtration, whose associated graded ring is . If , their nonzero leading symbols have nonzero product in this polynomial integral domain. Thus has nonzero leading symbol and cannot vanish. Hence has no nontrivial zero divisors.
Here is the left-handed Ore theorem. Let be a multiplicative set of regular elements of a ring, containing and excluding . There is an injective Ore localization whose elements are left fractions if and only ifThis is the left Ore condition. For a noncommutative domain, taking gives a division ring exactly when this condition holds. With zero-divisor denominators a further left reversibility condition is needed; the regular-denominator statement is the one used here.
Necessity follows by writing in the quotient and multiplying by and , giving in the embedded original ring. For a construction proving sufficiency, use the left Ore fraction construction: pairs represent , and and are equivalent whenfor suitable . Reflexivity and symmetry are immediate. For transitivity, combine and by a common left multiple . Then , so regularity gives , which combines the numerator equalities and proves transitivity.
Addition uses the common denominator , with numerator . To multiply by , choose with ; setThe Ore condition supplies a common refinement whenever a representative or an Ore relation is changed, and regularity cancels the shared denominator, proving independence of choices. The same refinements verify the ring axioms; the formulas are simply addition and multiplication after clearing left denominators. The map is injective, since equivalence to zero would give with . Each becomes invertible. A homomorphism inverting extends uniquely by , giving the universal property. For all nonzero denominators in a noncommutative domain, a nonzero fraction has inverse , so the quotient is a division ring. This is the requested proof sketch, with the fraction equivalence and multiplication made explicit.
It remains to check the left Ore condition for . Its graded polynomial ring is Noetherian by the Hilbert basis theorem. Lifting homogeneous generators of a graded left ideal and successively cancelling leading symbols proves that the filtered algebra is a left Noetherian ring: each subtraction lowers the nonnegative degree, so it terminates.
In any left Noetherian noncommutative domain, nonzero principal left ideals intersect. Otherwise with would makean infinite direct sum of nonzero left ideals. To verify directness, reduce a finite relation modulo to make its first summand zero, then cancel on the right and repeat. Its increasing finite partial sums contradict the ascending chain condition. A nonzero element of therefore has the form , with , proving the required condition. Consequently has a classical ring of left quotients, and it is a division ring.