Root Extensions and Factorization in Affine Domains

http://dx.doi.org/10.4153/CMB-2010-014-8
Canad. Math. Bull. 53(2010), 247-255

  Published:2009-12-04
 Printed: Jun 2010

An integral domain R is IDPF (Irreducible Divisors of Powers Finite) if, for every non-zero element a in R, the ascending chain of non-associate irreducible divisors in R of $a^{n}$ stabilizes on a finite set as n ranges over the positive integers, while R is atomic if every non-zero element that is not a unit is a product of a finite number of irreducible elements (atoms). A ring extension S of R is a \emph{root extension} or \emph{radical extension} if for each s in S, there exists a natural number $n(s)$ with $s^{n(s)}$ in R. In this paper it is shown that the ascent and descent of the IDPF property and atomicity for the pair of integral domains $(R,S)$ is governed by the relative sizes of the unit groups $\operatorname{U}(R)$ and $\operatorname{U}(S)$ and whether S is a root extension of R. The following results are deduced from these considerations. An atomic IDPF domain containing a field of characteristic zero is completely integrally closed. An affine domain over a field of characteristic zero is IDPF if and only if it is completely integrally closed. Let R be a Noetherian domain with integral closure S. Suppose the conductor of S into R is non-zero. Then R is IDPF if and only if S is a root extension of R and $\operatorname{U}(S)/\operatorname{U}(R)$ is finite.