Prove $ mathbb{Z}[sqrt {-5}] $ is not a UFD without factoring?












3












$begingroup$


We know the ring $ mathbb{Z}[sqrt{-5}] $ is not a UFD.



The typical proof is showing that $6$ factors in $2$ ways.



But there must be a better way to show this than to do trial and error factoring of some random element of the ring.



So how does one prove $ mathbb{Z}[sqrt{-5}] $ is not a UFD without factoring a certain element ?



I can show it must be atomic and has a finite amount of units. But that is insufficient and perhaps even irrelevant ; UFD have that too.










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$endgroup$












  • $begingroup$
    Show that it's not a GCD domain, for example. i.e. find two elements such that the ideal generated by them is not principal.
    $endgroup$
    – stressed out
    Jan 24 at 12:09












  • $begingroup$
    But how do we do that without factoring ? Seems alot like factoring 6 to me.
    $endgroup$
    – mick
    Jan 24 at 12:12






  • 2




    $begingroup$
    In the title you say something, but in the question itself you say something way harsh: "There must be a better way" . Better....wrt what, or for whom? Showing the decomposition in two wasy of $;6;$ , say, looks to me as simple and "good" as one can expect...what do you mean by "better" here? And the element is not that random: doing a little arithmetic one gets with very simple elements the dcompositions!
    $endgroup$
    – DonAntonio
    Jan 24 at 12:16






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    It depends what background you allow. The method using a factorization of 6 has the advantage of being simple: it does not need a lot of machinery. You could instead show the ideal $(2,1+sqrt{-5})$ is not principal: it is known that a Dedekind domain is a UFD iff it is a PID. But that requires a lot more work to justify (both proving the result and showing $mathbf Z[sqrt{-5}]$ is a Dedekind domain). The Dedekind property is crucial: $mathbf Z[x]$ is a UFD and not a PID!
    $endgroup$
    – KCd
    Jan 24 at 12:18








  • 3




    $begingroup$
    Again, $,6,$ is not that random. In $;Bbb Z[sqrt{-n}];,;;ninBbb N;$, I would go first precisely on $;n+1;$ . Why? because $$(1-sqrt{-n})(1+sqrt{-n})=1+n$$ Randomness doesn't work a lot in mahtematics.
    $endgroup$
    – DonAntonio
    Jan 24 at 12:37


















3












$begingroup$


We know the ring $ mathbb{Z}[sqrt{-5}] $ is not a UFD.



The typical proof is showing that $6$ factors in $2$ ways.



But there must be a better way to show this than to do trial and error factoring of some random element of the ring.



So how does one prove $ mathbb{Z}[sqrt{-5}] $ is not a UFD without factoring a certain element ?



I can show it must be atomic and has a finite amount of units. But that is insufficient and perhaps even irrelevant ; UFD have that too.










share|cite|improve this question











$endgroup$












  • $begingroup$
    Show that it's not a GCD domain, for example. i.e. find two elements such that the ideal generated by them is not principal.
    $endgroup$
    – stressed out
    Jan 24 at 12:09












  • $begingroup$
    But how do we do that without factoring ? Seems alot like factoring 6 to me.
    $endgroup$
    – mick
    Jan 24 at 12:12






  • 2




    $begingroup$
    In the title you say something, but in the question itself you say something way harsh: "There must be a better way" . Better....wrt what, or for whom? Showing the decomposition in two wasy of $;6;$ , say, looks to me as simple and "good" as one can expect...what do you mean by "better" here? And the element is not that random: doing a little arithmetic one gets with very simple elements the dcompositions!
    $endgroup$
    – DonAntonio
    Jan 24 at 12:16






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    It depends what background you allow. The method using a factorization of 6 has the advantage of being simple: it does not need a lot of machinery. You could instead show the ideal $(2,1+sqrt{-5})$ is not principal: it is known that a Dedekind domain is a UFD iff it is a PID. But that requires a lot more work to justify (both proving the result and showing $mathbf Z[sqrt{-5}]$ is a Dedekind domain). The Dedekind property is crucial: $mathbf Z[x]$ is a UFD and not a PID!
    $endgroup$
    – KCd
    Jan 24 at 12:18








  • 3




    $begingroup$
    Again, $,6,$ is not that random. In $;Bbb Z[sqrt{-n}];,;;ninBbb N;$, I would go first precisely on $;n+1;$ . Why? because $$(1-sqrt{-n})(1+sqrt{-n})=1+n$$ Randomness doesn't work a lot in mahtematics.
    $endgroup$
    – DonAntonio
    Jan 24 at 12:37
















3












3








3


1



$begingroup$


We know the ring $ mathbb{Z}[sqrt{-5}] $ is not a UFD.



The typical proof is showing that $6$ factors in $2$ ways.



But there must be a better way to show this than to do trial and error factoring of some random element of the ring.



So how does one prove $ mathbb{Z}[sqrt{-5}] $ is not a UFD without factoring a certain element ?



I can show it must be atomic and has a finite amount of units. But that is insufficient and perhaps even irrelevant ; UFD have that too.










share|cite|improve this question











$endgroup$




We know the ring $ mathbb{Z}[sqrt{-5}] $ is not a UFD.



The typical proof is showing that $6$ factors in $2$ ways.



But there must be a better way to show this than to do trial and error factoring of some random element of the ring.



So how does one prove $ mathbb{Z}[sqrt{-5}] $ is not a UFD without factoring a certain element ?



I can show it must be atomic and has a finite amount of units. But that is insufficient and perhaps even irrelevant ; UFD have that too.







ring-theory factoring alternative-proof unique-factorization-domains






share|cite|improve this question















share|cite|improve this question













share|cite|improve this question




share|cite|improve this question








edited Jan 24 at 12:10









DonAntonio

179k1494233




179k1494233










asked Jan 24 at 12:07









mickmick

5,19332164




5,19332164












  • $begingroup$
    Show that it's not a GCD domain, for example. i.e. find two elements such that the ideal generated by them is not principal.
    $endgroup$
    – stressed out
    Jan 24 at 12:09












  • $begingroup$
    But how do we do that without factoring ? Seems alot like factoring 6 to me.
    $endgroup$
    – mick
    Jan 24 at 12:12






  • 2




    $begingroup$
    In the title you say something, but in the question itself you say something way harsh: "There must be a better way" . Better....wrt what, or for whom? Showing the decomposition in two wasy of $;6;$ , say, looks to me as simple and "good" as one can expect...what do you mean by "better" here? And the element is not that random: doing a little arithmetic one gets with very simple elements the dcompositions!
    $endgroup$
    – DonAntonio
    Jan 24 at 12:16






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    It depends what background you allow. The method using a factorization of 6 has the advantage of being simple: it does not need a lot of machinery. You could instead show the ideal $(2,1+sqrt{-5})$ is not principal: it is known that a Dedekind domain is a UFD iff it is a PID. But that requires a lot more work to justify (both proving the result and showing $mathbf Z[sqrt{-5}]$ is a Dedekind domain). The Dedekind property is crucial: $mathbf Z[x]$ is a UFD and not a PID!
    $endgroup$
    – KCd
    Jan 24 at 12:18








  • 3




    $begingroup$
    Again, $,6,$ is not that random. In $;Bbb Z[sqrt{-n}];,;;ninBbb N;$, I would go first precisely on $;n+1;$ . Why? because $$(1-sqrt{-n})(1+sqrt{-n})=1+n$$ Randomness doesn't work a lot in mahtematics.
    $endgroup$
    – DonAntonio
    Jan 24 at 12:37




















  • $begingroup$
    Show that it's not a GCD domain, for example. i.e. find two elements such that the ideal generated by them is not principal.
    $endgroup$
    – stressed out
    Jan 24 at 12:09












  • $begingroup$
    But how do we do that without factoring ? Seems alot like factoring 6 to me.
    $endgroup$
    – mick
    Jan 24 at 12:12






  • 2




    $begingroup$
    In the title you say something, but in the question itself you say something way harsh: "There must be a better way" . Better....wrt what, or for whom? Showing the decomposition in two wasy of $;6;$ , say, looks to me as simple and "good" as one can expect...what do you mean by "better" here? And the element is not that random: doing a little arithmetic one gets with very simple elements the dcompositions!
    $endgroup$
    – DonAntonio
    Jan 24 at 12:16






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    It depends what background you allow. The method using a factorization of 6 has the advantage of being simple: it does not need a lot of machinery. You could instead show the ideal $(2,1+sqrt{-5})$ is not principal: it is known that a Dedekind domain is a UFD iff it is a PID. But that requires a lot more work to justify (both proving the result and showing $mathbf Z[sqrt{-5}]$ is a Dedekind domain). The Dedekind property is crucial: $mathbf Z[x]$ is a UFD and not a PID!
    $endgroup$
    – KCd
    Jan 24 at 12:18








  • 3




    $begingroup$
    Again, $,6,$ is not that random. In $;Bbb Z[sqrt{-n}];,;;ninBbb N;$, I would go first precisely on $;n+1;$ . Why? because $$(1-sqrt{-n})(1+sqrt{-n})=1+n$$ Randomness doesn't work a lot in mahtematics.
    $endgroup$
    – DonAntonio
    Jan 24 at 12:37


















$begingroup$
Show that it's not a GCD domain, for example. i.e. find two elements such that the ideal generated by them is not principal.
$endgroup$
– stressed out
Jan 24 at 12:09






$begingroup$
Show that it's not a GCD domain, for example. i.e. find two elements such that the ideal generated by them is not principal.
$endgroup$
– stressed out
Jan 24 at 12:09














$begingroup$
But how do we do that without factoring ? Seems alot like factoring 6 to me.
$endgroup$
– mick
Jan 24 at 12:12




$begingroup$
But how do we do that without factoring ? Seems alot like factoring 6 to me.
$endgroup$
– mick
Jan 24 at 12:12




2




2




$begingroup$
In the title you say something, but in the question itself you say something way harsh: "There must be a better way" . Better....wrt what, or for whom? Showing the decomposition in two wasy of $;6;$ , say, looks to me as simple and "good" as one can expect...what do you mean by "better" here? And the element is not that random: doing a little arithmetic one gets with very simple elements the dcompositions!
$endgroup$
– DonAntonio
Jan 24 at 12:16




$begingroup$
In the title you say something, but in the question itself you say something way harsh: "There must be a better way" . Better....wrt what, or for whom? Showing the decomposition in two wasy of $;6;$ , say, looks to me as simple and "good" as one can expect...what do you mean by "better" here? And the element is not that random: doing a little arithmetic one gets with very simple elements the dcompositions!
$endgroup$
– DonAntonio
Jan 24 at 12:16




1




1




$begingroup$
It depends what background you allow. The method using a factorization of 6 has the advantage of being simple: it does not need a lot of machinery. You could instead show the ideal $(2,1+sqrt{-5})$ is not principal: it is known that a Dedekind domain is a UFD iff it is a PID. But that requires a lot more work to justify (both proving the result and showing $mathbf Z[sqrt{-5}]$ is a Dedekind domain). The Dedekind property is crucial: $mathbf Z[x]$ is a UFD and not a PID!
$endgroup$
– KCd
Jan 24 at 12:18






$begingroup$
It depends what background you allow. The method using a factorization of 6 has the advantage of being simple: it does not need a lot of machinery. You could instead show the ideal $(2,1+sqrt{-5})$ is not principal: it is known that a Dedekind domain is a UFD iff it is a PID. But that requires a lot more work to justify (both proving the result and showing $mathbf Z[sqrt{-5}]$ is a Dedekind domain). The Dedekind property is crucial: $mathbf Z[x]$ is a UFD and not a PID!
$endgroup$
– KCd
Jan 24 at 12:18






3




3




$begingroup$
Again, $,6,$ is not that random. In $;Bbb Z[sqrt{-n}];,;;ninBbb N;$, I would go first precisely on $;n+1;$ . Why? because $$(1-sqrt{-n})(1+sqrt{-n})=1+n$$ Randomness doesn't work a lot in mahtematics.
$endgroup$
– DonAntonio
Jan 24 at 12:37






$begingroup$
Again, $,6,$ is not that random. In $;Bbb Z[sqrt{-n}];,;;ninBbb N;$, I would go first precisely on $;n+1;$ . Why? because $$(1-sqrt{-n})(1+sqrt{-n})=1+n$$ Randomness doesn't work a lot in mahtematics.
$endgroup$
– DonAntonio
Jan 24 at 12:37












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