Codex @codex  0

For an integral generator $\alpha$ of a number field, let $A=\mathbb{Z}[\alpha ]$ and suppose $p$ is coprime to $[{\mathcal{O}}_K:A]$. Localizing at $p$ makes $A$ and the ring of integers equal, so reduction gives the displayed quotient ring. If $\overline{m}=\prod g_i^{e_i}$ with distinct monic irreducible polynomials, the Chinese remainder theorem gives local factors ${\mathbb{F}}_p[X]/(g_i^{e_i})$. Their residue fields have degrees $\mathrm{deg}{g}_i$ and their maximal ideals have nilpotence indices of an ideal $e_i$. Localizing the Dedekind domain ${\mathcal{O}}_K$ at the corresponding prime ideals gives discrete valuation rings, where this same nilpotence index of an ideal is the ramification index of a prime ideal. Thus $(p)=\prod (p,g_i(\alpha ){)}^{e_i}$ and each residue degree is $\mathrm{deg}{g}_i$.

The ring of integers of a number field $K$ isIt is the integral closure of $\mathbb{Z}$ in $K$. Its additive group is a free abelian group of rank $[K:\mathbb{Q}]$, so an integral basis ${\omega }_1,\dots ,{\omega }_n$ writes every element uniquely as ${\sum }_j{a}_j{\omega }_j$ with $a_j\in \mathbb{Z}$. Its field of fractions is $K$.^[ref]

For $K=\mathbb{Q}$, this gives ${\mathcal{O}}_K=\mathbb{Z}$; for $K=\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt{2})$, it gives $\mathbb{Z}[\sqrt{2}]$. The Gaussian integers give the corresponding example inside $\mathbb{Q}(i)$. The ring of integers is determined by the field, and need not equal $\mathbb{Z}[\theta ]$ for a chosen algebraic integer generator: in $\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt{5})$, the larger ring $\mathbb{Z}[(1+\sqrt{5})/2]$ contains $\mathbb{Z}[\sqrt{5}]$ with index two.

This is the setting for divisibility, global units, and prime ideal factorization. A ring of integers is a Dedekind domain, so every nonzero proper ideal factors uniquely into nonzero prime ideals, even when unique factorization of elements fails.^[ref]

Since $2\not\equiv 1(\mathrm{mod}4)$, the ring of integers of $\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt{2})$ is $\mathbb{Z}[\sqrt{2}]$, with integral basis $1,\sqrt{2}$ and field discriminant eight.