Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2021 / iii / Paper 101 / 6 / a / i

Write $\mathfrak{p}=(x)$. The principal ideal theorem and the hypothesis give $\mathrm{ht}\mathfrak{p}=1$. We use the standard principal prime in a Noetherian local ring lemma: a principal prime of positive height in a Noetherian local ring is generated by a nonzerodivisor and is the unique minimal prime above zero. The lemma follows by applying the associated-prime description of zero divisors and Nakayama's lemma to $\mathrm{ann}(x)$; if a nonzero annihilator or another minimal component existed, the principal prime would have height zero.

Here is the needed argument directly. For every $n\ge 1$,Indeed, if $y{x}^n=0$ with $y\notin \mathfrak{p}$, then $y$ is a unit in $R_{\mathfrak{p}}$, so $x^n=0$ there. The maximal ideal $\mathfrak{p}{R}_{\mathfrak{p}}=(x)$ would then be nilpotent, making $R_{\mathfrak{p}}$ zero-dimensional, contrary to $\mathrm{ht}\mathfrak{p}\ge 1$.

Now suppose $xy=0$. The displayed containment gives $y=x{y}_1$, then $x^2{y}_1=0$ gives $y_1=x{y}_2$, and inductivelyBecause $R$ is Noetherian, the ascending chain $\mathrm{ann}(x)\subseteq \mathrm{ann}(x^2)\subseteq \cdots$ stabilizes, say at $n=N$. Then $y_N\in \mathrm{ann}(x^{N+1})=\mathrm{ann}(x^N)$, and hence $y=x^N{y}_N=0$. Thus $x$ is a nonzerodivisor.

Let $N={\bigcap }_{n\ge 0}{x}^{n}R$. It is a finitely generated ideal. If $y=xz\in N$, then $xz\in x^{n+1}R$ for every $n$; cancellation of the nonzerodivisor $x$ gives $z\in x^{n}R$ for every $n$. Hence $N=xN$, and Nakayama lemma gives $N=0$ because $x$ lies in the maximal ideal.

Every nonzero element consequently has a finite $x$-adic order. If nonzero $a,b$ satisfied $ab=0$, write $a=x^r{a}^{\prime }$ and $b=x^s{b}^{\prime }$ with $a^{\prime },b^{\prime }\notin (x)$. Cancelling $x^{r+s}$ gives $a^{\prime }{b}^{\prime }=0$, contradicting primality of $(x)$. Equivalently, $(0)$ is prime, so