Show that $\Bbb Z[\alpha,4/\alpha]/(2)$ is a direct product of three domains, where $\alpha^3+\alpha^2-2\alpha+8=0$

abstract-algebracommutative-algebraidealsring-theory

Let $\alpha$ be a root of $x^3+x^2-2x+8$. As part of another problem, I am trying to show that, in the ring $\Bbb Z[\alpha,4/\alpha]$, the ideal $(2)$ splits as a product of three distinct primes. This is equivalent to the fact that $\Bbb Z[\alpha,4/\alpha]/(2)$ is a product of three domains.

A useful fact is that the minimal polynomial of $4/\alpha$ is $x^3-x^2+2x+8$. The following all seems correct to me:
\begin{align}
\Bbb Z[\alpha,4/\alpha]/(2)&\cong \Bbb Z[x,y]/(2,x^3+x^2-2x+8,y^3-y^2+2y+8,xy-4)\\
&\cong \Bbb F_2[x,y]/(x^3+x^2,y^3+y^2,xy)\\
&\cong \Bbb F_2[x,y]/(x^2,y^3+y^2,xy)\cap(x+1,y^3+y^2,xy)\\
&=\Bbb F_2[x,y]/(x^2,y^3+y^2,xy)\oplus \Bbb F_2\\
&=\Bbb F_2\oplus \Bbb F_2[x,y]/(y^2,x^2,xy)\cap (y+1,x^2,xy)\\
&=\Bbb F_2\oplus \Bbb F_2\oplus \Bbb F_2[x,y]/(x^2,xy,y^2).
\end{align}

If it is unclear, I'm using the Chinese remainder theorem in a few places. Clearly the third component is not a domain, so something has gone wrong. Its possible that the first line is incorrect, and that you need another condition relating $x$ and $y$. For example, in the quotient, there is no difference between $2/\alpha$ and $4/\alpha$, which seems wrong.

The bigger context here is that $\Bbb Z[\alpha,4/\alpha]$ is the ring of integers of $\Bbb Q(\alpha)$. This ring is interesting because Dedekind came up with a proof it is not monogenic. However, I am stuck on this detail, which is really just basic ring theory.

Best Answer

The missing relations are $\alpha^2 = 2 - 2(4/\alpha) - \alpha$ and $(4/\alpha)^2 = 4/\alpha - 2\alpha - 2$.

These translate into $x^2 = 2 - 2y - x$ and $y^2 = y - 2x - 2$.

Modulo $2$ they become $x^2 = x$ and $y^2 = y$ (and these make the cubic relations superfluous).

So you have $$\begin{align*}\mathbb{F}_2[x,y]/(x^2 - x, xy, y^2 - y) &= \mathbb{F}_2[x,y]/(x,xy,y^2-y) \cap (x-1,xy,y^2-y) \\&\cong \mathbb{F}_2[x,y]/(x,xy,y^2-y)\oplus \mathbb{F}_2[x,y]/(x-1,xy,y^2-y)\\ & \cong \mathbb{F}_2[y]/(y^2-y)\oplus \mathbb{F}_2[y]/(y,y^2 - y)\\ &\cong \mathbb{F}_2 \oplus\mathbb{F}_2 \oplus\mathbb{F}_2.\end{align*}$$

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