Dedekind Domains, UFD iff PID

UFD iff PID

If R is a dedekind domain, the following conditions are equivalent.

  1. R is a ufd.

  2. All maximal ideals are principal.

  3. All fractional ideals are principal.

  4. R is a pid.

  5. Every finitely generated torsion free R module is free.

Note that 3 → 4 → 1 is straightforward.

To show 1 → 2, select a minimal set of generators for a maximal ideal M.  Let x be one of these generators, and write x as a product of irreducible elements.  Since M is a prime ideal it contains at least one of these factors.  Replace x with the prime factor that belongs to M.  Do this for every generator in the set.

In a ufd, irreducible and prime are synonymous, and prime elements generate prime ideals.  If M includes the generators x and y, then the prime ideals generated by x and y belong to M.  However, there are no prime ideals properly contained in M, so x and y both generate M.  We don't need both of them.  If the set of generators is minimal, it consists of one generator, and M is principal.  That completes 1 → 2.

Prove 2 → 3, and the first 4 criteria become equivalent.  Assume the maximal ideals are principal.  Each fractional ideal is a product of maximal ideals and their inverses, and the inverse of a principal ideal is principal.  Thus all fractional ideals are principal, and 1 through 4 are equivalent.

Now 4 ⇔ 5 is a little off the beaten path, and if you're not familiar with torsion free modules you can skip to the next section.  Let's take the forward direction first.

A finitely generated module over a pid is well characterized.  In particular, a torsion free module becomes free, and that completes 4 → 5.

For the converse, assume finitely generated torsion free modules are free.  Let H be any ideal in R.  Now H is finitely generated and torsion free, hence it is free.  Suppose H has rank > 1.  A free R module of rank 2 now embeds in R, which is a free R module of rank 1.  Let b and c act as a basis for a free R module of rank 2, inside H, inside R.

Let F be the fraction field of R.  Let b and c generate an F module inside F.  If a linear combination of b and c yields 0, multiply through by the common denominator, and b and c are not linearly independent over R.  This is a contradiction, hence b and c are independent, and span an F vector space of dimension 2.  This lives inside F, which is an F vector space of dimension 1, which is impossible.  Therefore H has rank 1.  It is a principal ideal, and R is a pid.