Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2012 iii Paper 4 3 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-07
Let . This polynomial ring is a unique factorization domain of Krull dimension three. For a height-one prime in a unique factorization domain , choose a nonzero element of it and an irreducible factor belonging to . In a unique factorization domain, is prime, so is a nonzero prime ideal contained in . Strict containment would give a chain of length two. ThusIf has height three, it is maximal: any strictly larger proper prime would extend a length-three chain and contradict . The Weak Hilbert Nullstellensatz over the algebraically closed field then givesfor some . This proves both requested generator assertions.
For the monomial curve with exponents three, four and five, putAll three map to zero under the given parametrization, so . Reduce any monomial using , and . Each reduction decreases the sum of the exponents of , so it terminates. Every polynomial has, modulo , the formIts image is . These three terms occupy different exponent classes modulo three, so they cannot cancel. A zero image forces each . ConsequentlyThe quotient is the domain , hence is a prime ideal. It is finite free over , with basis of a module , by the same normal-form argument. Its dimension is therefore one, using that integral extensions preserve Krull dimension. The polynomial-ring height and dimension formula givesFor the generator obstruction, let . Since , we have . The degree-two initial forms of areThey are linearly independent over in . Thus no nonzero constant linear combination of the belongs to , and their classes are independent in . Since the three generators span that quotient,Two global generators would span it by two vectors, which is impossible. This is the initial-form lower bound for ideal generators; it shows why height two does not force two generators, even though height one and height three behave as above.