The Patch Topology and the Ultrafilter Topology on the Prime Spectrum of a Commutative Ring

Let R be a commutative ring and let Spec(R) denote the collection of prime ideals of R. We define a topology on Spec(R) by using ultrafilters and demonstrate that this topology is identical to the well-known patch or constructible topology. The proof is accomplished by use of a von Neumann regular ring canonically associated with R.     

A Criterion for Bases of the Ring of Symmetric Functions

We give a criterion for bases of the ring of symmetric functions in n indeterminates over a commutative ring R with identity. A related algorithm is presented in the last section. Received April 13, 2004     

On the Annihilator Graph of a Commutative Ring

Let R be a commutative ring with nonzero identity, Z(R) be its set of zero-divisors, and if a ∈ Z(R), then let ann _R (a) = {d ∈ R | da = 0}. The annihilator graph of R is the (undirected) graph AG(R) with vertices Z(R)* = Z(R)?{0}, and two distinct vertices x and y are adjacent if and only if ann _R (xy) ≠ ann _R (x) ∪ ann _R (y). It follows that each edge (path) of the zero-divisor graph Γ(R) is an edge (path) of AG(R). In this article, we study the graph AG(R). For a commutative ring R, we show that AG(R) is connected with diameter at most two and with girth at most four provided that AG(R) has a cycle. Among other things, for a reduced commutative ring R, we show that the annihilator graph AG(R) is identical to the zero-divisor graph Γ(R) if and only if R has exactly two minimal prime ideals.     

S-Noetherian Properties of Composite Ring Extensions

Let R be a commutative ring with identity and S a multiplicative subset of R. We say that R is an S-Noetherian ring if for each ideal I of R, there exist an s ∈ S and a finitely generated ideal J of R such that sI ? J ? I. In this article, we study transfers of S-Noetherian property to the composite semigroup ring and the composite generalized power series ring.     

On the Prime Spectrum of X-Injective Modules

Let R be a commutative ring and M an R-module. The purpose of this article is to introduce a new class of modules over R called X-injective R-modules, where X is the prime spectrum of M. This class contains the family of top modules and that of weak multiplication modules properly. In this article our concern is to extend the properties of multiplication, weak multiplication, and top modules to this new class of modules. Furthermore, for a top module M, we study some conditions under which the prime spectrum of M is a spectral space for its Zariski topology.     

The Largest Left Quotient Ring of a Ring

The left quotient ring (i.e., the left classical ring of fractions) Q_cl(R) of a ring R does not always exist and still, in general, there is no good understanding of the reason why this happens. In this article, existence of the largest left quotient ring Q_l(R) of an arbitrary ring R is proved, i.e., Q_l(R) = S₀(R)^?1R where S₀(R) is the largest left regular denominator set of R. It is proved that Q_l(Q_l(R)) = Q_l(R); the ring Q_l(R) is semisimple iff Q_cl(R) exists and is semisimple; moreover, if the ring Q_l(R) is left Artinian, then Q_cl(R) exists and Q_l(R) = Q_cl(R). The group of units Q_l(R)* of Q_l(R) is equal to the set {s^?1t | s, t ∈ S₀(R)} and S₀(R) = R ∩ Q_l(R)*. If there exists a finitely generated flat left R-module which is not projective, then Q_l(R) is not a semisimple ring. We extend slightly Ore's method of localization to localizable left Ore sets, give a criterion of when a left Ore set is localizable, and prove that all left and right Ore sets of an arbitrary ring are localizable (not just denominator sets as in Ore's method of localization). Applications are given for certain classes of rings (semiprime Goldie rings, Noetherian commutative rings, the algebra of polynomial integro-differential operators).     

Every Commutative Ring Has a Minimal Ring Extension

Let R be a commutative unital ring and E a unital R-module. Then the canonical injective ring homomorphism from R into the idealization R(+) E is a minimal ring homomorphism if and only if E is a simple R-module. For E nonzero, R(+)E is not (R-algebra isomorphic to) an overring of R. If E ₁ and E ₂ are nonisomorphic simple R-modules, then R(+) E ₁ and R(+) E ₂ give minimal ring extensions of R which are not isomorphic as R-algebras. The ring of dual numbers over R is a minimal ring extension of R ? R × R is a minimal ring extension of R ? R is a field.     

On Prime Submodules of a Finitely Generated Free Module Over a Commutative Ring

In this article, we give a full characterization of prime submodules of a finitely generated free module F over a commutative ring R with identity. Also we study the existence of primary decomposition of a submodule of F and characterize the minimal primary decomposition of this submodule. We also describe the structure of prime submodules of a module over a Dedekind domain.     

Examples of Generic Lattice Ideals of Codimension 3

A commutative ring R is said to be strongly Hopfian if the chain of annihilators ann(a) ? ann(a ²) ? … stabilizes for each a ∈ R. In this article, we are interested in the class of strongly Hopfian rings and the transfer of this property from a commutative ring R to the ring of the power series R[[X]]. We provide an example of a strongly Hopfian ring R such that R[[X]] is not strongly Hopfian. We give some necessary and sufficient conditions for R[[X]] to be strongly Hopfian.     

On the Key Equation Over a Commutative Ring

We define alternant codes over a commutative ring R and a corresponding key equation. We show that when the ring is a domain, e.g. the p-adic integers, the error-locator polynomial is the unique monic minimal polynomial (equivalently, the unique shortest linear recurrence) of the finite sequence of syndromes and that it can be obtained by Algorithm MR of Norton.WhenR is a local ring, we show that the syndrome sequence may have more than one (monic) minimal polynomial, but that all the minimal polynomials coincide modulo the maximal ideal ofR . We characterise the set of minimal polynomials when R is a Hensel ring. We also apply these results to decoding alternant codes over a local ring R: it is enough to find any monic minimal polynomial over R and to find its roots in the residue field. This gives a decoding algorithm for alternant codes over a finite chain ring, which generalizes and improves a method of Interlando et. al. for BCH and Reed-Solomon codes over a Galois ring.     

ACCP Rises to the Polynomial Ring if the Ring has Only Finitely Many Associated Primes

Abstract

We show for a commutative ring R with unity: If R satisfies the ascending chain condition on principal ideals (accp) and has only finitely many associated primes, then for any set of indeterminates X the polynomial ring R[X] also satisfies accp. Further we show that accp rises to the power series ring R[[X]] if R satisfies accp and the ascending chain condition on annihilators.     

On the Zero-Divisor Graph of a Ring

Let R be a commutative ring with identity, Z(R) its set of zero-divisors, and Nil(R) its ideal of nilpotent elements. The zero-divisor graph of R is Γ(R) = Z(R)\{0}, with distinct vertices x and y adjacent if and only if xy = 0. In this article, we study Γ(R) for rings R with nonzero zero-divisors which satisfy certain divisibility conditions between elements of R or comparability conditions between ideals or prime ideals of R. These rings include chained rings, rings R whose prime ideals contained in Z(R) are linearly ordered, and rings R such that {0} ≠ Nil(R) ? zR for all z ∈ Z(R)\Nil(R).     

On the Ideals of a Lie Ring of Derivations

Let R be a commutative ring, and D a Lie subring and an R-submodule of Der(R) such that R is D-semiprime (or D-prime). We investigate the structure of the ideals of D as Lie rings. As a consequence, we give a necessary and sufficient condition for the ideals of D to be semiprime (or prime, respectively) Lie rings.     

Decomposing torsion modules

E. Matlis proved that if R is an integral domain with quotient field Q and K is the R-module Q/R, then all torsion R-modules decompose into a direct sum of local submodules if and only if K decomposes into a direct sum of local submodules. Thus K is a test module to determine whether torsion modules decompose. We generalize this result to commutative rings. If R is a commutative ring and a torsion theory of R is given by a Gabriel topology , then form the ring of quotients R_ and let K be the cokernel of the canonical ring homomorphism from R to R_. In some special cases, every -torsion R-module decomposes into a direct sum of local submodules if and only if K decomposes. However, there is an example where this is not the case. The principal result is: given R,  and K, there is a related filter _K of ideals of R, which is a subset of , such that all _K-pretorsion R-modules decompose into a direct sum of local submodules if and only if K decomposes. The relationship between  and _K is investigated.     

Sufficient conditions for the projective freeness of Banach algebras

Let R be a unital semi-simple commutative complex Banach algebra, and let M(R) denote its maximal ideal space, equipped with the Gelfand topology. Sufficient topological conditions are given on M(R) for R to be a projective free ring, that is, a ring in which every finitely generated projective R-module is free. Several examples are included, notably the Hardy algebra H^∞(X) of bounded holomorphic functions on a Riemann surface of finite type, and also some algebras of stable transfer functions arising in control theory.     

A topological characterization of the goldman prime spectrum of a commutative ring

A prime ideal p of a commutative ring R is said to be a Goldman ideal (or a G-ideal) if there exists a maximal ideal M of the polynomial ring R[X] such that p = M ∩ R. A topological space is said to be goldspectral if it is homeomorphic to the space Gold(R) of G-ideals of R (Gold(R) is considered as a subspace of the prime spectrum Spec(R) equipped with the Zariski topology). We give here a topological characterization of goldspectral spaces.     

On maximal commutative subrings of non-commutative rings

We observe that every non-commutative unital ring has at least three maximal commutative subrings. In particular, non-commutative rings (resp., finite non-commutative rings) in which there are exactly three (resp., four) maximal commutative subrings are characterized. If R has acc or dcc on its commutative subrings containing the center, whose intersection with the nontrivial summands is trivial, then R is Dedekind-finite. It is observed that every Artinian commutative ring R, is a finite intersection of some Artinian commutative subrings of a non-commutative ring, in each of which, R is a maximal subring. The intersection of maximal ideals of all the maximal commutative subrings in a non-commutative local ring R, is a maximal ideal in the center of R. A ring R with no nontrivial idempotents, is either a division ring or a right ue-ring (i.e., a ring with a unique proper essential right ideal) if and only if every maximal commutative subring of R is either a field or a ue-ring whose socle is the contraction of that of R. It is proved that a maximal commutative subring of a duo ue-ring with finite uniform dimension is a finite direct product of rings, all of which are fields, except possibly one, which is a local ring whose unique maximal ideal is of square zero. Analogues of Jordan-Hölder Theorem (resp., of the existence of the Loewy chain for Artinian modules) is proved for rings with acc and dcc (resp., with dcc) on commutative subrings containing the center. A semiprime ring R has only finitely many maximal commutative subrings if and only if R has a maximal commutative subring of finite index. Infinite prime rings have infinitely many maximal commutative subrings.     

Armendariz Properties Relative to a Ring Endomorphism

For an endomorphism α of a ring R, we introduce the notion of an α-Armendariz ring to investigate the relative Armendariz properties. This concept extends the class of Armendariz rings and gives us an opportunity to study Armendariz rings in a general setting. It is obvious that every Armendariz ring is an α-Armendariz ring, but we shall give an example to show that there exists a right α-Armendariz ring which is not Armendariz. A number of properties of this version are established. It is shown that if I is a reduced ideal of a ring R such that R/I is a right α-Armendariz ring, then R is right α-Armendariz. For an endomorphism α of a ring R, we show that R is right α-Armendariz if and only if R[x] is right α-Armendariz. Moreover, a weak form of α-Armendariz rings is considered in the last section. We show that in general weak α-Armendariz rings need not be α-Armendariz.     

Some Properties of a Cayley Graph of a Commutative Ring

Let R be a commutative ring with unity and R ⁺, U(R), and Z*(R) be the additive group, the set of unit elements, and the set of all nonzero zero-divisors of R, respectively. We denote by ?𝔸𝕐(R) and G _R , the Cayley graph Cay(R ⁺, Z*(R)) and the unitary Cayley graph Cay(R ⁺, U(R)), respectively. For an Artinian ring R, Akhtar et al. (2009) studied G _R . In this article, we study ?𝔸𝕐(R) and determine the clique number, chromatic number, edge chromatic number, domination number, and the girth of ?𝔸𝕐(R). We also characterize all rings R whose ?𝔸𝕐(R) is planar. Moreover, we determine all finite rings R whose ?𝔸𝕐(R) is strongly regular. We prove that ?𝔸𝕐(R) is strongly regular if and only if it is edge transitive. As a consequence, we characterize all finite rings R for which G _R is a strongly regular graph.     

Commutative rings whose proper ideals are direct sums of uniform modules

An interesting result, obtaining by some theorems of Asano, Köthe and Warfield, states that: “for a commutative ring R, every module is a direct sum of uniform modules if and only if R is an Artinian principal ideal ring.” Moreover, it is observed that: “every ideal of a commutative ring R is a direct sum of uniform modules if and only if R is a finite direct product of uniform rings.” These results raise a natural question: “What is the structure of commutative rings whose all proper ideals are direct sums of uniform modules?” The goal of this paper is to answer this question. We prove that for a commutative ring R, every proper ideal is a direct sum of uniform modules, if and only if, R is a finite direct product of uniform rings or R is a local ring with the unique maximal ideal ? of the form ? = U⊕S, where U is a uniform module and S is a semisimple module. Furthermore, we determine the structure of commutative rings R for which every proper ideal is a direct sum of cyclic uniform modules (resp., cocyclic modules). Examples which delineate the structures are provided.