Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2017 / ib / Paper 2 / 2E (Groups, Rings and Modules)

A unique factorization domain is an integral domain in which every nonzero nonunit is a finite product of irreducible elements, uniquely up to reordering and multiplication of factors by a unit in a ring. A principal ideal domain is an integral domain in which every ideal is generated by one element.

Gauss lemma for polynomials says that over a unique factorization domain $D$, the product of two primitive polynomials is primitive, and the polynomial content satisfies $c(fg)=c(f)c(g)$ up to a unit. In particular a primitive polynomial of positive degree is irreducible over $D$ exactly when it is irreducible over the fraction field of $D$. Consequently a polynomial ring over a unique factorization domain is itself a unique factorization domain.

The Eisenstein criterion says that if $f(X)=a_n{X}^n+\cdots +a_0\in D[X]$ has $n\ge 1$ and there is a prime element $p$ with $p\nmid a_n$, $p\mid a_j$ for every $j<n$, and $p^2\nmid a_0$, then $f$ is irreducible over the fraction field. If $f$ is primitive, it is also irreducible in $D[X]$. Over $\mathbb{Z}$ one may take $p$ to be an ordinary prime number. The primitivity qualification prevents a nonunit constant content from being overlooked.

Take $\boxed{R=\mathbb{Q}[X]}$ and, for the next clause, its subring $S=\mathbb{Z}[X]$. Division with remainder makes $R$ a Euclidean domain, with the degree as Euclidean size for nonzero polynomials. For completeness, a nonzero ideal of $R$ contains a polynomial $g$ of least degree; division of any member by $g$ leaves a smaller-degree remainder in the ideal, so that remainder must vanish. The ideal is therefore $(g)$; the zero ideal is already principal. Thus $R$ is a principal ideal domain.

For the same pair, $\boxed{S=\mathbb{Z}[X]\subset \mathbb{Q}[X]}$. Since $\mathbb{Z}$ is a unique factorization domain, Gauss lemma for polynomials proves that $S$ is a unique factorization domain.

To prove that $S$ is not a principal ideal domain, consider the ideal $I=(2,X)$. A generator $g$ would divide 2 and $X$. Divisibility of 2 forces $g$ to be a nonzero constant integer; divisibility of $X$ then forces that integer to divide its coefficient 1, so $g=\pm 1$. This would make $I=S$. But evaluation at $X=0$ followed by reduction modulo 2 maps every element of $I$ to zero and maps 1 to one. Hence $1\notin I$, a contradiction. This is the integer polynomial ring is not a principal ideal domain example, with both clauses satisfied by a single inclusion.