Quotient Ring

Dependencies:

  1. Product of ideal cosets is well-defined
  2. Factor group

Let $I$ be an ideal of $R$. The quotient ring $R/I$ is the set of all additive cosets of $I$.

\[ R/I = \{r + I: r \in R\} \]

Here addition is defined as $(a+I) + (b+I) = (a+b) + I$ and multiplication is defined as $(a+I)(b+I) = ab+I$.

Proof that $R/I$ is a ring

$(R/I, +)$ is a factor group. Since $R$ is abelian, $(R/I, +)$ is an abelian group.

Multiplication in $R/I$ is well-defined and its definition implies closure.

\begin{align} & ((a+I)(b+I))(c+I) \\ &= (ab+I)(c+I) \\ &= ((ab)c + I) \\ &= (a(bc) + I) \\ &= (a+I)(bc+I) \\ &= (a+I)((b+I)(c+I)) \end{align}

Therefore, multiplication in $R/I$ is associative.

\begin{align} & (a+I)((b+I)+(c+I)) \\ &= (a+I)((b+c)+I) \\ &= (a(b+c) + I) \\ &= ((ab+ac) + I) \tag{distributivity in $R$} \\ &= (ab+I) + (ac+I) \\ &= (a+I)(b+I) + (a+I)(c+I) \end{align}

Therefore, distributivity holds for $R/I$.

Dependency for:

  1. I is a prime ideal iff R/I is an integral domain
  2. I is a maximal ideal iff R/I is a field
  3. F[x]/p(x) is isomorphic to F[x]/p(x)F[x]

Info:

Transitive dependencies:

  1. Group
  2. Coset
  3. For subset H of a group, a(bH) = (ab)H and (aH)b = a(Hb)
  4. Ring
  5. Ideal
  6. Subgroup
  7. Normal Subgroup
  8. Product of normal cosets is well-defined
  9. Factor group
  10. Inverse of a group element is unique
  11. gH = H iff g in H
  12. Product of ideal cosets is well-defined