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LemmaStatement: Literature-sourcedProof: AI-adaptedprecheck passverified 2026-09-23 (gpt-6-sol)
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The radicals in a minimal primary decomposition are exactly the associated primes of the quotient

Statement

Assume the Axiom of Choice.

Let R be a Noetherian commutative ring, let M be a finitely generated left R-module, and let N=Q1∩⋯∩Qr be a minimal primary decomposition in which each Qi is pi-primary. Assume each pi is a prime ideal. Then Ass⁡R(M/N)={p1,…,pr}.

Facts & Assumptions

Given: The Axiom of Choice, a Noetherian commutative ring R, a finitely generated left R-module M, and a minimal primary decomposition N=Q1∩⋯∩Qr with each Qi pi-primary for a prime ideal pi (The Axiom of Choice).

[L1]

In a minimal primary decomposition, the component radicals are pairwise distinct and no component is redundant (Primary decompositions, minimality, and isolated components).

[L2]

Associated primes of a submodule lie in those of the ambient module, and associated primes of a direct sum are the union of those of the summands (Associated primes in a short exact sequence).

[L3]

Under the stated Choice hypothesis, if Qi is pi-primary, then Ass⁡R(M/Qi)={pi} (Primary submodules of finite modules are characterized by a singleton associated-prime set).

[L4]

Under the stated Choice hypothesis, every nonzero module over a Noetherian ring has an associated prime (A nonzero module over a Noetherian ring has an associated prime).

Proof

technique · direct
1.1L2L3constructalgebra

Let δ:M/N⟶⨁i=1rM/Qi be the diagonal map. Its kernel is zero, because m+N maps to zero exactly when m∈Qi for every i, that is, when m∈N. Thus δ is injective. By [L3] and the direct-sum part of [L2], Ass⁡R ⁣(⨁i=1rM/Qi)={p1,…,pr}. Since M/N is a submodule of that direct sum, the left-inclusion part of [L2] gives Ass⁡R(M/N)⊆{p1,…,pr}.

1.2L1L2L3L4choosealgebra

Fix i. Put Ii=⋂j≠iQj. By [L1], the decomposition is irredundant, so Ii⊈Qi and therefore Ii/N≠0. The map Ii/N⟶M/Qi,m+N⟼m+Qi is injective because its kernel is (Ii∩Qi)/N=N/N=0. Hence Ii/N is a nonzero submodule of M/Qi. By [L2] and [L3], Ass⁡R(Ii/N)⊆Ass⁡R(M/Qi)={pi}. Fact [L4] makes Ass⁡R(Ii/N) nonempty, so Ass⁡R(Ii/N)={pi}. Applying [L2] again to the inclusion Ii/N↪M/N yields pi∈Ass⁡R(M/N).

2.1step 1.1step 1.2∎

Step 1.2 shows every pi belongs to Ass⁡R(M/N), and step 1.1 gives the reverse inclusion. Therefore Ass⁡R(M/N)={p1,…,pr}.

Depends on

Used by

Dependency tree · two levels

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Sources