Abstract Algebra – Ideals of Formal Power Series Ring

abstract-algebraring-theory

I need help understanding the following solution for the given problem.

The problem is as follows: Given a field $F$, the set of all formal power series $p(t)=a_0+a_1 t+a_2 t^2 + \ldots$ with $a_i \in F$ forms a ring $F[[t]]$. Determine the ideals of the ring.

The solution: Let $I$ be an ideal and $p \in I$ such the number $a := \min\{i|a_i \neq 0\}$ is minimal. We claim $I=(t^a).$ First, $p=t^aq$ for some unit $q$, hence $(t^a) \subset I$. Conversely, any $r \in I$ has first nonzero coefficient at degree $\geq a$, hence $t^a s$ for some $s \in F[[t]]$, and so $r \in (t^a)$.

My questions: Why the claim $I=(t^a)$? Why does $q$ have to be a unit? What does "first nonzero coefficient at degree $\geq a$ mean? And I don't understand the last part of the proof!!

Best Answer

We’re supposing that $I$ is an ideal in $F[[t]]$. For each $p(t)=\sum_{k\ge 0}a_kt^k\in I$, let $$a_p=\min\{k:a_k\ne 0\}\;,$$ so that

$$p(t)=a_{a_p}t^{a_p}+a_{a_p+1}t^{a_p+1}+\ldots=t^{a_p}\left(\underbrace{a_{a_p}+a_{a_p+1}t+a_{a_p+2}t^2+\ldots}_{q(t)\in F[[t]]}\right)\;.\tag{1}$$

Among all elements of $I$, choose $p\in I$ so that $a_p$ is as small as possible, and let $a=a_p$. $(1)$ shows that there is a $q(t)\in F[[t]]$ with a non-zero constant term such that $p(t)=t^aq(t)$, and the claim is that $I=(t^a)$.

Since $q(t)$ has a non-zero constant term, $q(t)$ is a unit in $F[[t]]$, and therefore $t^a\in I$; clearly this implies that $(t^a)\subseteq I$.

Now suppose that $r(t)\in I$, say $r(t)=\sum_{k\ge 0}b_kt^k$. Recall that $p$ was chosen so that $a_p$, the exponent on the first non-zero term of $p(t)$ was as small as possible for any member of $I$. That means that $a_r\ge a_p=a$. But $a_r$ is the exponent on the first non-zero term of $r(t)$, so $b_k=0$ for all $k<a_r$. And since $a\le a_r$, clearly $b_k=0$ for all $k<a$. But that means that every non-zero term of $r(t)$ has an exponent of $a$ or more, which means that we can factor out $t^a$: there is some $s(t)\in F[[t]]$ such that $r(t)=t^as(t)$. Of course this means that $r(t)\in(t^a)$, so we’ve now shown that $I\subseteq(t^a)$.

Putting the two pieces together, we get $I=(t^a)$. Thus, every ideal of $F[[t]]$ is of this form for some $a$.