Prime Numbers – Proving 3 is Irreducible but Not Prime in Z[sqrt(-41)]

irreducible-polynomialsprime numbersunique-factorization-domains

I'm asked to show that 3 is irreducible but not prime in $R = \mathbb{Z}[\sqrt{-41}]$. And if $R$ is a Euclidean domain.

To show that it's not prime I have $(1 + \sqrt{-41})(1 – \sqrt{-41}) = 42 = (3)(14)$. I get that 3 divides 14 but how do I show that 3 does not divide either $(1 + \sqrt{-41})$, $(1-\sqrt{-41})$ to show that it's not prime? $x \mid 42$ but $x$ does not divide 3?

To show that it's irreducible how am I showing that either $(1 + \sqrt{-41})$, $(1 – \sqrt{-41})$ is a unit since clearly $(1 + \sqrt{-41})(1 – \sqrt{-41}) = 42$?

Best Answer

You can generalize quite a few things here. If $p$ is a prime number in $\mathbb{Z}$, $d \not\equiv 1 \pmod 4$ is negative and squarefree, and $|p| < |d|$, then $p$ is irreducible in $\mathbb{Z}[\sqrt{d}]$. Since $p$ is not a square (one of the most important reasons why 1 is not prime), it is irreducible.

Thus, in $\mathbb{Z}[\sqrt{-41}]$, we see that $|3| < |-41|$. The possible norms in this domain less than 41 are all squares: 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, and clearly 3 is not one of these.

If $p$ is irreducible but not prime, then the congruence $x^2 \equiv d \pmod p$ can be solved. Indeed $1^2 \equiv -41 \pmod 3$, leading you to find that $(1 - \sqrt{-41})(1 + \sqrt{-41}) = 42$.

If either $1 - \sqrt{-41}$ or $1 + \sqrt{-41}$ was a unit, its norm would be equal to 1 (we don't have to worry about a norm of $-1$ here). But you've already seen that both of those numbers have norms of 42 (remember that $N(a + b \sqrt{d}) = (a - b \sqrt{d})(a + b \sqrt{d})$).

Saying "$a$ divides $b$" is a convenient shorthand for "$b$ divided by $a$ is a number that's also in this domain." But $$\frac{1 - \sqrt{-41}}{3} \not\in \mathbb{Z}[\sqrt{-41}].$$ Likewise for $1 + \sqrt{-41}$.

You have thus proven that 42 has two distinct factorizations in this domain: $$2 \times 3 \times 7 = (1 - \sqrt{-41})(1 + \sqrt{-41}) = 42.$$ (2 and 7 are also irreducible but not prime.)

If a domain is Euclidean, then it's also a principal ideal domain and a unique factorization domain. This domain is clearly not a Euclidean domain because it's not a unique factorization domain (e.g., 42).

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