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The dimension formula for affine domains
Statement
Assume the Axiom of Choice. Let be a field, let be a finite-type -domain, and let . Then
Facts & Assumptions
Given: The Axiom of Choice (The Axiom of Choice), a field , a finite-type -domain , and a prime ideal .
Under Choice, if is Noetherian and lies over of finite height, then when , and otherwise (A prime chain in R[x] has length at most one more than its contraction chain). Finite polynomial rings over fields are Noetherian (If is Noetherian then is Noetherian for every ).
Noether normalization embeds a polynomial ring in so that is module-finite over (Noether normalisation yields module finiteness over a polynomial subring). Such an extension is integral. Under Choice, if the base is integrally closed, the height of a prime of equals that of its contraction to (Under going down and incomparability, lying-over primes have the same finite height).
Gauss's lemma says primitive polynomials remain primitive under products and detect irreducibility over the fraction field (Gauss lemma over a UFD). If is a UFD, factor the content of a polynomial in and factor its primitive part over ; clearing denominators and taking primitive parts lifts those factors to , while Gauss's lemma makes factorization unique. Thus is again a UFD, and induction makes every finite-variable polynomial ring over a field a UFD. A UFD is integrally closed: if a reduced fraction is integral, its monic equation multiplied by makes ; coprimality forces to be a unit.
A prime quotient is a domain ( is an integral domain if and only if is a prime ideal); a one-variable polynomial ring over a field is a PID (For every field , is a principal ideal domain); transcendence degree is additive in finite field towers (Transcendence degree is additive in finite towers).
Proof
First prove the formula for and every prime , by induction on . When , , its only prime is , and both sides are zero.
Write where , put , and let . By the induction hypothesis, , so has finite height. The relative-height formula [L1] applies to the Noetherian ring .
Independently, [L2] supplies algebraically independent such that is module-finite. Fix such a normalization. The fraction field is algebraic over , so its transcendence degree over is . Put . This fixed normalization will be used after the polynomial induction.
If , then and its fraction field is . By [L1] the height remains , while the transcendence degree grows by one. If , its image in is a nonzero prime. The PID makes this image generated by an irreducible polynomial, so the image of in is algebraic over . Thus the quotient fraction field has the same transcendence degree as , while [L1] raises the height by one. In either case the sum is .
The base and induction step prove for every and prime .
By [L3] the polynomial ring is integrally closed, and by step 3.1 its prime has finite height. Hence the Choice-qualified height-preservation result [L2] gives . The quotient is a domain by [L4] and remains integral over , so its fraction field is algebraic over . Therefore their transcendence degrees over agree.
Apply step 3.1 to and substitute the two equalities from step 4.1 and from step 1.3. This gives .
Depends on
The Axiom of Choice
Noether normalisation yields module finiteness over a polynomial subring
Under going down and incomparability, lying-over primes have the same finite height
If is Noetherian then is Noetherian for every
For every field , is a principal ideal domain
Transcendence degree is additive in finite towers
Gauss lemma over a UFD
A prime chain in R[x] has length at most one more than its contraction chain
is an integral domain if and only if is a prime ideal