Semiflat algebras and transcendence degree (Q1186756)

Let \(C\) be a \(D\)-algebra containing \(D\), then a subset \(B\) of \(C\) is algebraically independent over \(D\) if \(F(b_ 1,\ldots,b_ n)=0\), where \(F(X_ 1,\ldots,X_ n)\) is an element of the polynomial ring \(D[X_ 1,\ldots,X_ n]\) and \(\{b_ 1,\ldots,b_ n\}\subseteq B\) together imply \(F(X_ 1,\ldots,X_ n)=0\) in \(D[X_ 1,\ldots,X_ n]\). --- Otherwise \(B\) is algebraically dependent over \(C\). The transcendence degree of \(C\) over \(D\), denoted \([C:D]\) is defined to be \(d<\infty\) if there exists a set of \(d\) elements in \(C\) algebraically independent over \(D\), and every subset of \(C\) with \(d+1\) element is algebraically dependent over \(D\). If \(C:D\) is not finite, it is defined to be infinity. Let \(R\) be a commutative ring with 1, and let \(S\) be an \(R\)-algebra containing \(R\). An \(R\)-algebra is said to be semiflat if it is embeddable in a flat \(R\)-module.--- In the first two sections of the paper the author gives some generalizations of transcendence degree theorems, e.g.: If \(R\subseteq S\) with some finiteness conditions on \(R\) weaker that Noetherian, then if \(S\) is semiflat, the transcendence degree of \(S\) over \(R\) can be computed by taking the minimum of the transcendence degrees of \(S/Q\) over \(R/P\), where \(P\) is an associated prime of zero and \(Q\) is a suitable prime of \(S\) minimal over \(PS\). --- In the third section it is discussed the notion of semiflat algebras and for a large class of rings, including reduced Noetherian, conditions equivalent to the semiflat condition are given.