Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2006 / ib / Paper 4 / 2E (Groups, Rings and Modules)

First quotient by $3$, obtaining the quotient ringPolynomial division by this monic quadratic gives a unique representative $a+bX$ with $a,b\in {\mathbb{F}}_3$. Uniqueness holds because a nonzero multiple of a monic quadratic cannot have degree less than two. Therefore $|R|=3^2=9$.

In characteristic three, $X^2+X+1=(X-1{)}^2$. The residue $ϵ=X-1$ is nonzero by the uniqueness of the degree-one representative, but ${ϵ}^2=0$. Thus $ϵ$ is both a nilpotent element and a zero divisor. Consequently $R$ is not an integral domain. Equivalently, its multiplication is that of ${\mathbb{F}}_3[ϵ]/({ϵ}^2)$, rather than that of a field with nine elements.