# Category: Ring theory

## Problem 177

Let $R$ be a principal ideal domain (PID). Let $a\in R$ be a non-unit irreducible element.

Then show that the ideal $(a)$ generated by the element $a$ is a maximal ideal.

## Problem 175

Let $R$ be a principal ideal domain (PID) and let $P$ be a nonzero prime ideal in $R$.
Show that $P$ is a maximal ideal in $R$.

## Problem 174

Let $R$ be a commutative ring and let $P$ be an ideal of $R$. Prove that the following statements are equivalent:

(a) The ideal $P$ is a prime ideal.

(b) For any two ideals $I$ and $J$, if $IJ \subset P$ then we have either $I \subset P$ or $J \subset P$.

## Problem 173

Let $R$ be a commutative ring. An ideal $I$ of $R$ is said to be irreducible if it cannot be written as an intersection of two ideals of $R$ which are strictly larger than $I$.

Prove that if $\frakp$ is a prime ideal of the commutative ring $R$, then $\frakp$ is irreducible.

## Problem 172

Let $R$ be a commutative ring.

Then prove that $R$ is a field if and only if $\{0\}$ is a maximal ideal of $R$.

## Problem 171

Let $R$ be a commutative ring with $1 \neq 0$.
An element $a\in R$ is called nilpotent if $a^n=0$ for some positive integer $n$.

Then prove that if $a$ is a nilpotent element of $R$, then $1-ab$ is a unit for all $b \in R$.

## Rings $2\Z$ and $3\Z$ are Not Isomorphic
Prove that the rings $2\Z$ and $3\Z$ are not isomorphic.