# Math Help - Max Ideals of Z3[x]

1. ## Max Ideals of Z3[x]

Claim: The set of all maximal ideals in $\mathbb{Z}_3[x]$ is not in one-to-one correspondence with $\mathbb{Z}_3 = \{0,1,2\}$.

I haven't found a proof yet. Seems that I have to show that the set of all maximal ideals in $\mathbb{Z}_3[x]$ is is less than 3 or greater than 3.

Ideas:

I can show that $(1+x^2)$ is a maximal ideal using 1st Iso. Thm. and the fact that $\mathbb{Z}_3 / (1+x^2)$ is a field. I could probably show that $(1+x)$ is a max ideal similarly; haven't done this yet as I'm not sure it helps. It might be true that these are the only maximal ideals of $\mathbb{Z}_3[x]$ but I'm not sure how to prove it. If these are true, then we're done.

2. Originally Posted by huram2215
Claim: The set of all maximal ideals in $\mathbb{Z}_3[x]$ is not in one-to-one correspondence with $\mathbb{Z}_3 = \{0,1,2\}$.

I haven't found a proof yet. Seems that I have to show that the set of all maximal ideals in $\mathbb{Z}_3[x]$ is is less than 3 or greater than 3.

Ideas:

I can show that $(1+x^2)$ is a maximal ideal using 1st Iso. Thm. and the fact that $\mathbb{Z}_3 / (1+x^2)$ is a field. I could probably show that $(1+x)$ is a max ideal similarly; haven't done this yet as I'm not sure it helps. It might be true that these are the only maximal ideals of $\mathbb{Z}_3[x]$ but I'm not sure how to prove it. If these are true, then we're done.
recall that if $F$ is a field, then an ideal $I$ of $F[x]$ is maximal iff $I=\langle f(x) \rangle$, where $f(x) \in F[x]$ is irreducible. so all the following ideals are maximal in $\mathbb{Z}_3[x]$:

$\langle x \rangle, \ \langle x+1 \rangle, \ \langle x+2 \rangle, \ \langle x^2+1 \rangle, \ \langle x^2+x+2 \rangle, \ \langle x^2+2x+2 \rangle, \dots$