Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 iii Paper 128 2 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
A right Noetherian ring satisfies the ascending chain condition on right ideals; equivalently, every right ideal is a finitely generated module.
Here is a noncommutative Hilbert basis theorem proof adapted to the stated hypothesis. Set andThe equality follows inductively from , by moving one coefficient past one at a time. These spaces form an exhaustive filtered algebra structure on , with . This does not assert uniqueness of the displayed expressions or the existence of a coefficient-moving automorphism.
For a right ideal , defineEach is a right ideal of . In fact, if and , write with , ; then . Also by right multiplication by . Since is a right Noetherian ring, this ascending chain stabilizes at some .
Choose finite generators for each , , and choose with . These finitely many elements generate as a right ideal. To see this, induct on for . Write with ; then . Put and express . Write with . The differencelies in , so the induction applies. At the remainder is zero. Hence is right Noetherian.
For the quantum torus, take and the convention . Begin with the polynomial ring , which is Noetherian by the Hilbert basis theorem. Adjoining preserves the hypothesis because it commutes with , and gives . Adjoin next. The relation and its inverse coefficient-moving relation give for . Finally adjoin to , where . On a monomial, ; when this is in , and when it is in . The reverse inclusion follows by the same relation. The preceding argument applies at each step, proving the quantum torus is right Noetherian. Nonzero is required for this notation.
For a noncommutative ring, a prime ideal of a noncommutative ring means a proper two-sided ideal such that for two-sided ideals implies or . Equivalently, implies or . This definition does not require to be a noncommutative domain.
Retain the right Noetherian ring hypothesis for the last assertion. More generally, the ascending chain condition on two-sided ideals suffices. We claim that every proper two-sided ideal contains a product of finitely many prime ideals of a noncommutative ring, each containing . If not, choose a maximal counterexample . It cannot be a prime ideal of a noncommutative ring. Thus there are two-sided ideals strictly containing with : add to the two witnesses for failure of the defining condition for a prime ideal of a noncommutative ring. By maximality, both and contain products of finitely many prime ideals of a noncommutative ring containing them. Concatenating these products gives a product inside , a contradiction.
Apply the claim to in a nonzero , obtaining . Every prime ideal of a noncommutative ring contains one of the , by repeated application of the definition of a prime ideal of a noncommutative ring. For the prime radical of a noncommutative ring , it follows thatIndeed, gives , and for every gives equality of the intersections. If , the empty intersection is the whole zero ring and the conclusion is immediate.
The final assertion is false for arbitrary algebras without the preceding chain condition. For example, in the commutative ring the nilradical is , its only prime ideal, but the product of any number of distinct is nonzero. Thus this nilradical is not a nilpotent ideal.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 iii Paper 128 3 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
Use and for the quantum plane. Its monomials , , form a basis, with multiplicationOne way to verify the basis assertion without assuming it is to define this multiplication on the vector space with the displayed formal basis. This defines an associative algebra: for a third monomial , the two products of three monomials have the same exponent of , and its generators satisfy the required relation. Conversely, the relation puts every word into this form, establishing the presentation. Order exponent pairs by the lexicographic order. The largest monomials of two nonzero finite sums give the uniquely largest monomial of their product, with coefficient . Therefore the quantum plane is a domain. If one allows , the assertion fails because with both factors nonzero.
A uniform module is a nonzero module in which any two nonzero submodules have nonzero intersection. Suppose the right regular module of a right Noetherian domain were not a uniform module. Choose nonzero from two right ideals with zero intersection. Then . The right idealsform a direct sum. For if , then is zero, so by the noncommutative domain property. Cancel the nonzero factor on the left and repeat to obtain every . Each summand is nonzero, so their finite partial sums form a strictly ascending chain of right ideals. This contradicts the ascending chain condition of a right Noetherian ring. Hence is a uniform right module.
It follows that whenever : there are nonzero with . This is the right Ore condition for the multiplicative set ; zero numerators cause no difficulty. The Ore localization theorem therefore constructs the ring of right fractionsThe map is injective because an element mapping to zero is annihilated on the right by some nonzero denominator, impossible in a noncommutative domain. To make the denominator convention concrete, if thenFor multiplication, choose with ; thenCommon right multiples make these operations independent of the chosen representatives. Every nonzero has inverse , so is a division ring. The original field is central in and therefore in the inverses as well, making a division algebra over . No commutative fraction field construction is being assumed.
Quantum plane 2026-10-05
Right Noetherian domain 2026-10-05
A noncommutative domain whose right ideals satisfy the ascending chain condition is a right Noetherian domain. Its right regular module is a uniform module, so any two nonzero principal right ideals intersect. Thus its nonzero elements satisfy the right Ore condition and it embeds in a division ring by Ore localization.
Right Ore condition 2026-10-05
A multiplicative subset with and of a ring satisfies the right Ore condition if for every and there are and such that . For a noncommutative domain, taking gives a ring of right fractions ; every nonzero fraction is invertible. The usual additional denominator reversibility condition is automatic when the elements of are nonzero in a noncommutative domain.
Right Ore set 2026-10-05
A multiplicative subset of a ring is a right Ore set if , and it satisfies the right Ore condition. In a noncommutative domain, this condition lets nonzero denominators be used in Ore localization.