GCDs in integral domains are unique up to unit factors (associates)

abstract-algebraring-theory

The book I am reading mentioned that the greatest common divisor of $a_1, \cdots a_n$ in an integral domain $R$, whenever it exists, is unique up to arbitrary invertible factors. What does "up to arbitrary invertible factors" mean?

Definition: Let $a_1, \cdots, a_n$ be nonzero elements of the ring $R$. An element $d \in R$ is a greates comon divisor of $a_1, \cdots a_n$ if it possesses the properties:

  • $d \vert a_i$, for $i=1, c\dots n$
  • $c \vert a_i$, for $i=1, \cdots n$ implies $c \vert d$.

Best Answer

By the universal $\rm\color{#c00}{def}$inition of the gcd, If $\,d,d'$ are both gcds of all of the $\,a_i\,$ then $\,c\mid d\!\!\!\overset{\rm\ \ \color{#c00}{def}}\iff\! c\mid a_1,\ldots ,a_n\!\!\!\overset{\rm\ \ \color{#c00}{def}}\iff\! c\mid d',\,$ so for $\,c=d\,$ we get $\,d\mid d'$ and for $\,c = d'\,$ we get $\,d'\mid d,\,$ so $\,d,d'$ divide each other so are associate (thus $\,d' = u d\,$ for some unit $u,\,$ being in a domain).

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