[Math] Maximal ideals of some localization of a commutative ring

abstract-algebracommutative-algebraring-theory

If $R$ is commutative ring, $P_1, P_2, \dots, P_n$ prime ideals of $R$ with the property $P_i \not\subseteq \bigcup _{j \not = i} P_j$, $\forall 1\le i\le n$, and $S:=R\setminus(P_1 \cup \cdots \cup P_n)$, then show: $$S^{-1}R \text{ has exactly } n \text{ maximal ideals}.$$

Definition. $S^{-1}R=${${r \over s} : r \in R , s \in S $}.

Best Answer

Using the result mentioned by YACP in the comments, the problem reduces to proving: If an ideal $I$ contained in a union of prime ideals $P_i$, then $I$ is contained in one of the $P_i$.

We can prove that result by induction on $n$. The case $n=1$ is clear. For the inductive step, if $I$ is contained in a union of less than $n$ of the $P_i$, then the result holds by induction. Otherwise, for every $i$ there exists an element $x_i \in I$ which is in $P_i$ but not in any $P_j$ for $j \ne i$. Then the element $x = x_1 + x_2 x_3 \ldots x_n$ is in $I$, but cannot be in any of the $P$'s (why not?): contradiction.

(Do you see where we used the fact that the $P_i$ are prime?)

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