Let
This ring consists of finite sums of rational multiples of nonnegative dyadic rational powers of , interpreted as functions on . Every pair of elements lies in one polynomial ring , so is an integral domain. The constant term defines a surjective ring homomorphism . Its kernel of a ring homomorphism is nonzero and is a maximal ideal, by the maximal ideal quotient criterion.
Every has the form for some and some polynomial . The identity
expresses it as a product of two elements of . Therefore , and for all . This shows that strict descent of powers of an ideal can fail in an integral domain, even for a nonzero maximal ideal. By the determinant trick, such an ideal cannot be finitely generated, so this ring is not a Noetherian ring.
If the quotient ring is an integral domain, then , because an integral domain has . For ,
There are no nonzero zero divisors in an integral domain, so or . Thus or , proving is a prime ideal.
If is a field, again is proper. Let be an ideal properly containing , and choose . The nonzero element has a multiplicative inverse , so . Since , subtraction gives , hence . Therefore is a maximal ideal. These arguments establish the relevant prime ideal quotient criterion and maximal ideal quotient criterion.
No. A domain with a nonzero idempotent maximal ideal is a counterexample. Consider
This can be realized concretely as a ring of functions on : its elements are finite sums of rational multiples of nonnegative dyadic rational powers of . Each stage is a polynomial ring, because a nonzero polynomial cannot vanish for all . Any two elements lie in one stage, which is an integral domain, so their product is nonzero if both are nonzero. Thus is an integral domain.
The constant term defines a surjective ring homomorphism . It is well defined because replacing by preserves the constant term. Its kernel of a ring homomorphism
is a maximal ideal, since is a field, by the maximal ideal quotient criterion. Also is nonzero.
If , choose a stage in which for a polynomial . Then
Both factors belong to , so . The reverse inclusion holds for every ideal, proving that is an idempotent ideal. Hence
The Noetherian ring hypothesis in c is therefore essential even for a maximal ideal.
For any commutative ring with identity, the maximal ideal quotient criterion states that an ideal is maximal exactly when is a field. Applying it to proves