Abstract Algebra – Commutative Integral Domain and Field of Fractions

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I want to prove that if we have a commutative integral domain $D$ with field of fractions $F\neq D$ then $F$ is not finitely generated as a $D$-module. (In this question it may be the case that $1\not\in D$.)

My original plan was to localize at a maximal ideal and then use Nakayama's lemma but as we don't have a $1$ our localization may not be local (in fact we need not have maximal ideals).

So I'm a bit lost as to where to go?

Thanks for any help.

Best Answer

If the fractions $p_i/q$ ($i=1,2,\dots,n$) form a set of generators (it's not restrictive to assume the denominators are the same), then any element of $F$ can be written as $$ \frac{x}{y}=\sum_{1\le i\le n}\frac{p_i}{q}d_i =\frac{1}{q}\sum_{1\le i\le n}p_id_i $$ which means $1/q$ is a generator. Since $F\ne D$, we have $1/q\notin D$. Then $$ \frac{1}{q^2}=\frac{d}{q} $$ for some $d\in D$, which means $dq=1$, a contradiction.

If $1\notin D$, we have that $\frac{q}{q^2}$ is a generator, but then $$ \frac{q}{q^3}=\frac{qd}{q^2} $$ and so $$ \frac{q}{q^2}=q\frac{q}{q^3}=q\frac{qd}{q^2}=\frac{q^2d}{q^2}=d $$ which is again a contradiction.

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