Irreducible central elements generate maximal ideals?

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In summary, the conversation discusses the concept of irreducibility in the ring F[x] and the relationship between central elements and irreducible elements. The key point is that if a non-unit element a can be written as a product of two non-unit central elements b and c, then a itself is not irreducible over F[x]. This is because for a to be irreducible, it must be a product of two units, but since c is central and a non-unit, it cannot be a unit and therefore a cannot be irreducible. This is demonstrated through an example using the ring of quaternions.
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Silversonic
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http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/3937/vjj6.png

I don't understand the very last bit, where it says a and b are central and so c is, hence a is not irreducible. Basically what replaces the "hence"? I can't seem to figure out the link between c being central meaning a isn't irreducible.

a being irreducible means it isn't a unit, hence D[x]a is proper but if it is not maximal it sits inside an ideal D[x]b where b is a central non-unit.

Hence a = cb for some c. Since a and b are non-units, to be irreducible c must be a unit. But then c being central contradicts it being a unit? Why? There are central units contained in H[x] for instance (the ring of quaternions), a real number is a central unit.
 
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Hmm, left it for a few hours and came back to it. Noticed what I was doing wrong, not noticing that it was talking about irreducibility over F[x], instead of the whole ring D[x]. Therefore c cannot be a unit otherwise D[x]a does not sit properly in D[x]b, but since c is central and b is central, a = cb is a product of two non-unit elements of F[x]. Hence a is not irreducible over F[x].
 

Related to Irreducible central elements generate maximal ideals?

1. What is an irreducible central element?

An irreducible central element is an element in a commutative ring that cannot be expressed as a product of two non-units. In other words, it cannot be factored into smaller elements.

2. What does it mean for an irreducible central element to generate a maximal ideal?

A maximal ideal is an ideal in a ring that is not properly contained in any other ideal. When an irreducible central element generates a maximal ideal, it means that the ideal is generated solely by that element and cannot be expanded any further.

3. How do irreducible central elements relate to prime ideals?

In a commutative ring, an ideal is prime if and only if it is generated by an irreducible central element. This means that every prime ideal is also maximal, but the converse is not always true.

4. Are there any other types of elements that can generate maximal ideals?

Yes, in a commutative ring, nonzero nilpotent elements can also generate maximal ideals. A nilpotent element is an element that, when raised to a power, becomes zero.

5. What is the significance of irreducible central elements generating maximal ideals?

Irreducible central elements play an important role in the structure of commutative rings. They are used to define and characterize prime and maximal ideals, which are fundamental concepts in ring theory. Additionally, the study of irreducible central elements and their properties can lead to a better understanding of the structure and behavior of commutative rings.

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