On the number of generators of an algebra (Q501867)

Let \(R\) be a commutative Noetherian ring with identity. Denote by \(\text{Spec}\, R\) and \(\text{Max}\, R\) the spectrum and the maximal spectrum of \(R\) respectively. For \(\mathfrak{p}\in \text{Spec}\, R\), \(R(\mathfrak{p})\) denotes the fraction field of \(R/\mathfrak{p}\). The authors prove the following: Theorem. If \(\text{dim \,Max}\, R = d\) and \(A\) is a finite \(R\)-algebra (not necessarily commutative, associative or having a unit element) such that \(A(\mathfrak{p})=A \otimes_R (\mathfrak{p})\) can be generated by \(n\) elements as a non-unital \(R(\mathfrak{p})\)-algebra for every \(\mathfrak{p}\in \text{Max}\, R\), then \(A\) can be generated by \(n + d\) elements as a non-unital \(R\)-algebra. When the multiplication map \(A\times A\to A\) is identically zero, the following classical theorem of Forster is recovered: if \(R\) is Noetherian of Krull dimension \(d\), \(M\) is a finite \(R\)-module and the \(R(\mathfrak{p})\)-module \(M(\mathfrak{p}) := M \otimes_R R(\mathfrak{p})\) can be generated by \(n\) elements for every \(\mathfrak{p}\in \text{Max}\, R\), then \(M\) can be generated by \(n + d\) elements.