Outline

Introduction
Main Topic
Summary

Primary Decomposition of Ideals

Miliyon T.

May 29, 2016

Miliyon T.

Primary Decomposition of Ideals

Outline
Introduction
Main Topic
Summary

Emmy Noether: The Mother of Modern Algebra

Miliyon T.

Primary Decomposition of Ideals

Outline
Introduction
Main Topic
Summary

Introduction
Basic Definitions
Illustrative examples
Basic results

Main Topic
Primary Decomposition of Ideals
Examples
Some results

Summary

Miliyon T.

Primary Decomposition of Ideals

Outline
Introduction
Main Topic
Summary

Basic Definitions
Illustrative examples
Basic results

Introduction
The study of the decomposition of ideals in rings began asa
remedy for the lack of unique factorization in rings like Z[ 5], in
which

6 = 2 3 = (1 + 5)(1 5).
The decomposition of an ideal into primary ideals is a traditional
pillar of ideal theory. From another perspective primary
decomposition provides a generalization of the factorization of an
integer as a product of prime-powers [Atiyah]. In these
presentation we have compiled some of the basic definitions and
results for the theory of primary decomposition of ideals.

Miliyon T.

Primary Decomposition of Ideals

Outline
Introduction
Main Topic
Summary

Basic Definitions
Illustrative examples
Basic results

We start our discussion by defining an ideal.

Definition 1 (Ideal)
An ideal a of a ring R is a subset of R which is an additive
subgroup and is such that Ra a (i.e., x R and y a imply
xy a).
Definition 2 (Ideal quotient)
If a, b are ideals in a ring R, their Ideal quotient is
(a : b) = {x R : xb a}
which is an ideal. If b is a principal ideal (x), we shall write (a : x)
in place of (a : (x)).

Miliyon T.

Primary Decomposition of Ideals

Outline
Introduction
Main Topic
Summary

Basic Definitions
Illustrative examples
Basic results

Definition 3 (Radical)
If a is any ideal of R, the radical of a is
r (a) = {x R : x n a for some n > 0}.
Definition 4 (Nilradical)
The set R of all nilpotent elements in a ring R is called nilradical
of R.
Definition 5 (Prime Ideal)
An ideal p in R is prime if p 6= (1) and if xy p x p or y p.
Definition 6 (Maximal Ideal)
An ideal m in R is maximal if m 6= (1) and if there is no ideal a
such that m a (1) (strict inclusions).
Miliyon T.

Primary Decomposition of Ideals

Outline
Introduction
Main Topic
Summary

Basic Definitions
Illustrative examples
Basic results

Definition 7 (Primary Ideal)

An ideal q in a ring R is primary if q 6= R and if xy q either
x q or y n q for some n > 0.
Equivalently, an ideal q is primary if R/q 6= 0 and every zero
divisor1 in R/q is nilpotent.
Remark
Trivially every prime ideal is primary.
Definition 8 (Noetherian Ring)
A ring R is said to be Noetherian if every ideal I of R is finitely
generated.
1

A zero divisor is a nonzero element a of a ring R such that there is a

nonzero element b R with ab = 0.
Miliyon T.

Primary Decomposition of Ideals

Outline
Introduction
Main Topic
Summary

Basic Definitions
Illustrative examples
Basic results

Example 9
The primary ideals in Z are (0) and (p n ), where p is prime.
If xy hp n i then some power of p divides x or y . Let p|x, then
x n hp n i.
Example 10
Let A = k[x, y ], q = hx, y 2 i. Then
A/q =

k[x, y ]
k[y ]
= 2
2
hx, y i
hy i

in which the zero divisors are all the multiples of y , hence are
nilpotent. Hence q is primary, and it radical r (q) = hx, y i = p.
Note that p is prime since A/p = k is a field and p2 = hx 2 , xy , y 2 i.
We have the strict inclusions p2 ( q ( p. Thus, a primary ideal is
not necessarily a prime power.
Miliyon T.

Primary Decomposition of Ideals

Outline
Introduction
Main Topic
Summary

Basic Definitions
Illustrative examples
Basic results

Example 11
Conversely, a prime power pn is not necessarily primary, although
its radical is the prime ideal p.
For example, let A = k[x, y , z]/hxy z 2 i and let x, y , z denote the
images of x, y , z respectively in A.
Then p = hx, zi is prime (since A/p = k[y ], an integral domain);
/ p2 and y
/ r (p2 ) = p; hence p2 is
we have xy = z 2 p2 but x
not primary.
Remark
If r (a) is maximal, then a is primary. In particular, the powers of a
maximal ideal m are m-primary.

Miliyon T.

Primary Decomposition of Ideals

Outline
Introduction
Main Topic
Summary

Basic Definitions
Illustrative examples
Basic results

An alternative definition of R is given by the following lemma.

Lemma 12
The nilradical of R is the intersection of all the prime ideals of R.
Proposition
The radical of an ideal a is the intersection of the prime ideals
which contain a.
Proof.
Lemma (12) applied to R/a tells us that the nilradical of R/a is
the intersection of all prime ideals of R/a which is in
correspondence with the set of all prime ideals containing a.

Miliyon T.

Primary Decomposition of Ideals

Outline
Introduction
Main Topic
Summary

Basic Definitions
Illustrative examples
Basic results

Lemma 13
If q is primary, then r (q) is a prime ideal.
Proof.
Let r = st r (q). If s
/ r (q) we must show that t r (q). If
s
/ r (q), then no power of s belongs to q. Then t q r (q) since
q is primary.
If p = r (q), then q is said to be p-primary.
Remark
Let q be p-primary. This means if ab q, then either a p or
b q.

Miliyon T.

Primary Decomposition of Ideals

Outline
Introduction
Main Topic
Summary

Basic Definitions
Illustrative examples
Basic results

Lemma 14
If q1 , . . . , qn are p-primary ideals, then q =
ideal.

Tn

i=1 qi

is a p-primary

Proof.

T
T
r (q) = r ni=1 qi = ni=1 r (qi ) = p. Let xy q, y
/ q. Then for
some i we have xy qi and y
/ qi hence x p, since qi is
primary.
An ideal I of a ring R is irreducible if for any two ideals J, K of R
such that I = J K we have either I = J or J = K .
Proposition
(a) A prime ideal is irreducible. (b) An irreducible ideal in a
Noetherian ring is primary.
Miliyon T.

Primary Decomposition of Ideals

Outline
Introduction
Main Topic
Summary

Basic Definitions
Illustrative examples
Basic results

Lemma 15
Let R be ring, let q be a p-primary ideal, and let x R.
(a) If x q then (q : (x)) = R.
(b) If x
/ q then (q : (x)) is p-primary.
(c) If x
/ p then (q : (x)) = q.
Proof.
(a) If x q then 1 (x) = (x) q so 1 (q : (x)).
(b) If y (q : (x)), then xy q. By assumption x
/ q, so y n q
for some n and thus y r (q) = p. So q (q : (x)) p; taking
radicals we get r ((q : (x))) = p. Moreover, if yz (q : (x)) with
y
/ r (q : (x)) = p, then xyz = y (xz) q, so xz q, thus
z (q : (x)). We get that (q : (x)) is primary.
(c) In any case q (q : (x)). If x
/ p = r (q) and y (q : (x)),
then xy q; since no power of x is in q, we must have y q.
Miliyon T.

Primary Decomposition of Ideals

Outline
Introduction
Main Topic
Summary

Primary Decomposition of Ideals

Examples
Some results

Definition 16 (Primary Decomposition)

A primary decomposition of an ideal a in R is an expression of a as
a finite intersection of primary ideals, say
a=

n
\

qi .

i=1

where each qi is primary ideal.

In general such a primary decomposition need not exist.
We shall say that a is decomposable if it has a primary
decomposition [Atiyah].

Miliyon T.

Primary Decomposition of Ideals

(1)

Outline
Introduction
Main Topic
Summary

Primary Decomposition of Ideals

Examples
Some results

We say the above primary decomposition is minimal(irredundant) if

(i) The prime ideals r (qi ) are distinct,
T
(ii) No qi can be omitted i.e. j6=i qj * qi (1 i n).
By lemma (14) we can achieve (i) and then we can omit any
superfluous terms to achieve (ii); thus any primary decomposition
can be reduced to a minimal one.
Definition 17
Associated prime ideal of a can be written as r (a : x) for some
x R. The set of such prime ideals of a is called associated prime
ideals of a and denoted by Ass(a).

Miliyon T.

Primary Decomposition of Ideals

Outline
Introduction
Main Topic
Summary

Primary Decomposition of Ideals

Examples
Some results

Example 18
Here are some examples of primary decomposition
1

h12i = h4i h3i in R = Z. Here q1 = h4i = p21 , p1 = h2i and

q2 = p2 = h3i.
hx 2 , y i = hxi hx, y i2 in R = k[x, y ] where k is a field. Here
q1 = hxi = p1 and q2 = p22 with p2 = hx, y i.
For I = hxy , xz, yzi k[x, y , z] there is a primary
decomposition I = hx, y i hx, zi hy , zi and
Ass(I ) = {hx, y i, hx, zi, hy , zi}.

Miliyon T.

Primary Decomposition of Ideals

Outline
Introduction
Main Topic
Summary

Primary Decomposition of Ideals

Examples
Some results

Example 19 (Froberg)
Consider a = hx 3 , x 2 y , xy 2 zi
a = hx 3 , x 2 , xi hx 3 , x 2 , y 2 i hx 3 , x 2 , zi hx 3 , y , xi
hx 3 , y , y 2 i hx 3 , y , zi
= hxi hx 2 , y 2 i hx 2 , zi hy , xi hx 3 , y i hx 3 , y , zi
We have hx 3 , y i hx 3 , y , zi and hx 2 , y 2 i hx, y i, so we can
delete hx 3 , y , zi and hx, y i. We have
hx 2 , y 2 i hx 3 , y i = hx 3 , x 2 y , x 3 y 2 , y 2 i = hx 3 , x 2 y , y 2 i. Thus
a = hxi hx 3 , x 2 y , y 2 i hx 2 , zi is a primary decomposition of a.
The associated prime ideals are hxi, hx, y i and hx, zi

Miliyon T.

Primary Decomposition of Ideals

Outline
Introduction
Main Topic
Summary

Primary Decomposition of Ideals

Examples
Some results

Theorem 20
T
Let a be a decomposable ideal and let a = ni=1 qi be a minimal
primary decomposition of a. Let pi = r (qi ), 1 i n). Then the
pi are precisely the prime ideals which occur in the set of ideals
r (a : x), x A, and hence are independent of the particular
decomposition of a.
Proof.
T
Since the decomposition is minimal we can find x j6=i qj with
x
/ qi and we ave
r (a : x) = r (q1 : x qn : x)
= r (q1 : x) r (qn : x)
= R pi R = pi
Hence pi Ass(a)
Miliyon T.

Primary Decomposition of Ideals

Outline
Introduction
Main Topic
Summary

Primary Decomposition of Ideals

Examples
Some results

Proof (Cont.)
Let p Ass(a), thus, r (a : x) = p for some x R. Then
p = r (a : x) = r (q1 : x) r (qn : x)
Since p is prime it contains r (qi : x) for some i. Also p r (qi : x).
Thus, p = r (qi : x).
Theorem 21 (Noether)
Any proper ideal in a Noetherian ring admits a primary
decomposition.

Miliyon T.

Primary Decomposition of Ideals

Outline
Introduction
Main Topic
Summary

Thank you for your Time!

Miliyon T.

Primary Decomposition of Ideals

Outline
Introduction
Main Topic
Summary

References

[Cox] David Cox, John Little and Donal OShea (1997)

Ideals, Varieties, and Algorithms
An Introduction to Computational Algebraic Geometry and Commutative
Algebra.
[Atiyah] M. F. Atiyah and I. G. MacDonald (1969)
Introduction to Commutative Algebra
Addison-Wesley, Reading, Massachusetts.
[Fr
oberg] Ralf Fr
oberg (1997)
An Introduction to Gr
obner Bases
John Wiley and Sons Ltd.

Miliyon T.

Primary Decomposition of Ideals