A ring extension is finite when is a finitely generated module over . Every finite extension is integral by the determinant trick.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 iii Paper 101 2 c Solution 2026-09-28
The claim fails for a general extension. If is an infinite field, all the infinitely many maximal ideals of contract to in .
It still fails for an integral extension. Take a finite field andEvery satisfies the monic equation , so is integral over the diagonal copy of . The coordinate kernels are infinitely many distinct maximal ideals, all lying over .
The claim is true for a module-finite ring extension. The primes above correspond to the primes of the fiber ringThis is a finite-dimensional algebra over the residue field , hence an Artinian ring, and an Artinian ring has only finitely many prime ideals.