Problems on rings

• In what follows, all rings are assumed to be commutative with 1. By a ring homomorphism
ϕ : R → S, we mean a map satisfying ϕ(x + y) = ϕ(x) + ϕ(y), ϕ(xy) = ϕ(x)ϕ(y) for all x, y ∈ R
and ϕ(1R ) = 1S . For a prime number p, let Fp denote the field Z/pZ.
(1) Let R be an integral domain. Prove that the polynomial ring R[X] is also an integral
domain.

(2) Let R be an integral domain. Prove that the units of R[X] are precisely the units of R.

(3) Prove that every non-zero prime ideal is maximal in a PID.

(4) Let R be an integral domain such that R[X] is a PID. Prove that R is a field. (Hint:
Prove the isomorphism R[X]/⟨X⟩ ≃ R).

(5) Find a prime ideal in Z[X] that is not maximal. Hence prove that Z[X] is not a PID.

(6) Is the ring Q[X, Y ] a PID? If not, then find an ideal I that is not principal.

(7) (i) Determine the maximal ideals of R := R[X]/⟨X 2 ⟩ and R′ := R[X]/⟨X 2 − 3X + 2⟩.
(Hint: If I is an ideal of R, then there is a one-one correspondence between the
ideals of R and those of R/I. Review this result from any textbook or Wikipedia
and then apply the result in this context).
(ii) Does there exist a ring with precisly 7 maximal ideals? Justify your answer.

(8) Prove that the ring F5 [X]/⟨X 2 + X + 1⟩ is a field but F3 [X]/⟨X 3 + X + 1⟩ is not a field.
(Hint: Prove that the first one is an integral domain whereas the second one is not).

(9) (i) Let R and R′ be integral domains with field of fractions F and F ′ , respectively. If
ϕ : R → R′ is an isomorphism, prove that ϕ can be extended to an isomorphism
Φ : F → F ′.
(ii) Let R and R′ be two rings and let ϕ : R → R′ be a ring homomorphism. Show that
Xn n
X
i
′
the map Φ : R[X] → R [X] defined by setting Φ( ai X ) = ϕ(ai )X i is also a
i=0 i=0
ring homomorphism.

(10) Let I be an ideal of R such that I contains a unit. Prove that I = R.

(11) (i) Let F be a field. Prove that there does not exist a non-zero proper ideal I in F .
(ii) Let ϕ : F → F ′ be a homomorphism of fields. Prove that ϕ is injective.

(12) Let I and J be two ideals of R. Prove that I ∪ J is an ideal of R if and only if either
I ⊆ J or J ⊆ I.

(13) In the ring Z[X], prove that ⟨2⟩ ∩ ⟨X⟩ = ⟨2X⟩.

(14) Prove that in Z[i], every non-zero ideal contains a non-zero element of Z.

(15) Determine all the units of the ring Z[i].

1
2
√
(16) Consider the function ϕ : Z[X] → R defined by ϕ(f (X)) = f (1 + 2). Check that ϕ is
a ring homomorphism and determine the kernel of ϕ.

(17) Let ϕ : R → R′ be a ring isomorphism. Find, with proof, a ring isomorphism Φ : R[X] →
R′ [X].

(18) If r2 = r for all r ∈ R, then find the characteristic of R.

(19) Let R be a ring of characteristic p, where p is a prime number. Prove that the map
ϕ : R → R defined by ϕ(r) = rp is a ring homomorphism.

(20) Let R be a ring of characteristic p and let a ∈ R be a nilpotent element. Prove that
(1 + a)n = 1 for some n ∈ N.

(21) Let I be an ideal of R. Prove that the set {r ∈ R : rn ∈ I for some n ∈ Z} is an ideal of
R.

(22) Let R be a ring and let S be a non-empty subset of R. Is the set I = {r ∈ R : rs =

(23) Prove that the fields R and C are not isomorphic.

(24) Prove that the isomorphic image of a principal ideal domain is again a principal ideal
domain.

(25) Let ϕ : Q → Q be a ring isomorphism. Prove that ϕ(x) = x for all x ∈ Q.

(26) Let ϕ : R → R be a ring isomorphism. Prove that ϕ(x) = x for all x ∈ R.

(28) Let R be a ring and let f, g : Q → R be ring homomorphisms such that f (n) = g(n) for
all n ∈ Z. Prove that f ≡ g.

(29) Prove that an integral domain with a finite number of ideals is a field.

(30) Let I be an ideal of R. Prove that {x ∈ R : rx ∈ I for all r ∈ R} is an ideal of R.

(31) Let x be a non-unit element of R. Prove that there exists a maximal ideal M in R such
that x ∈ M . Hence prove that u + x is a unit in R for all unit u ∈ R.

(32) Prove that 3 does not belong to the ideal ⟨5, X⟩ ⊆ Z[X].

(33) Give an example, with justification, of an ideal I ⊆ Z[X] such that there exist precisely
10 distinct ideals in Z[X] containing I.
(m )
X
(34) Let P be a non-zero prime ideal in R. Is P [X] = ai X i : ai ∈ P and m ∈ N
i=0
necessarily a prime ideal in R[X]?

(35) A ring R is said to be a local ring if R has a unique maximal ideal. Assume that R is
a local ring with unique maximal ideal M . Prove that 1 + x is a unit for all x ∈ M .

(36) Let R be a local ring and let x ∈ R be such that x2 = x. Prove that x = 0 or x = 1.
 3

(37) Let R be a ring such that x2 = x for all x ∈ R. Let I = ⟨a, b⟩ be an ideal in R. Prove
that I = ⟨c⟩ for some c ∈ R.

(38) Prove that if every proper ideal of a ring R is prime, then R is a field.

(39) Prove that Nil(R) = {r ∈ R : rn = 0 for some integer n ≥ 1} is an ideal of R. (The

(40) Let x be a nilpotent element of R. Prove that x belongs to every prime ideal of R.

(41) Determine all the prime ideals and maximal ideals of Z × Z/36Z × Q. Also find the
nilradical of this ring.

(42) Let ϕ : R1 → R2 be a ring homomorphism. Prove that ϕ(Nil(R1 )) ⊆ Nil(R2 ).

(43) Let ϕ : R1 → R2 be a ring homomorphism and let q be a prime ideal in R2 . Is ϕ−1 (q)
necessarily a prime ideal in R1 ? If q ⊆ R2 is a maximal ideal then is it necessarily true
that ϕ−1 (q) is a maximal ideal in R1 ?

(44) Prove that Z[i]/⟨1 + 3i⟩ ≃ Z/10Z.

(45) Let R be a ring and let r ∈ R. Let Ir = {rx − x : x ∈ R}. Prove that Ir is an ideal of
R. Moreover, prove that if r is nilpotent, then Ir = R.

(46) Prove that f (X) = X 3 − nX + 2 is irreducible over Q for n ̸= −1, 3, 5.

(47) Let α ∈ Q be a root of a monic polynomial in Z[X]. Prove that α ∈ Z.

(48) Determine the monic irreducible polynomials of degree 3 over F3 .

(49) Prove that f (X) = X 3 − 12X 2 + 44X − 52 is irreducible over Q.

(50) Let p be a prime number and let A ̸= I be an n × n integer matrix such that Ap = I.
Prove that n ≥ p − 1.

(51) Find all prime numbers p such that X 2 + 1 is irreducible over Fp .

(52) Does there exist a field F such that the multiplicative group F × and the additive group
F are isomorphic?

(53) Let R be an integral domain containing a field F such that R is a finite-dimensional