Nilradical ($\sqrt{(0)}$)

The nilradical of a commutative ring is its ideal of nilpotent elements, equivalently the radical of an ideal applied to its zero ideal.

In $R=k[t_1,t_2,\dots ]/(t_1^2,t_2^2,\dots )$, the nilradical is generated by all ${\bar{t}}_i$. Every element uses finitely many variables and is nilpotent, while each square-free product ${\bar{t}}_1\cdots {\bar{t}}_j$ is nonzero. Thus this nilradical is not a nilpotent ideal. A Noetherian ring cannot have this behavior: finitely many nilpotent generators give a nilpotent ideal.

For every commutative ring $R$,Every nilpotent element lies in every prime ideal. If $a$ is not nilpotent, an ideal maximal among those disjoint from $\{1,a,a^2,\dots \}$ is a prime ideal avoiding $a$, by the Zorn lemma and the maximality argument.