Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2013 / ib / Paper 2 / 2G (Groups, Rings and Modules)

Let $R$ be a Euclidean domain and $I$ a nonzero ideal. Choose $d\in I\setminus \{0\}$ minimizing the Euclidean size. For any $a\in I$, Euclidean division gives $a=qd+r$, where either $r=0$ or $r$ has smaller size than $d$. But $r=a-qd\in I$, so minimality forces $r=0$. Consequently $I=(d)$. The zero ideal is $(0)$, proving that every Euclidean domain is a principal ideal domain.

A commutative ring is Noetherian if every ideal is finitely generated; equivalently, every ascending chain of ideals stabilizes. To see the equivalence, the union of an ascending chain is an ideal. Finitely many generators for that union already belong to one member of the chain, after which the chain is constant. Conversely, an ideal which is not finitely generated permits successive choices outside the ideals generated by previous choices, producing a strictly ascending chain.

Every principal ideal domain is therefore Noetherian. The given Euclidean domain property of the Gaussian integers yields