A generalized principal ideal theorem (Q2371812)

The main result is as follows: Let \(R\) be a commutative ring with a prime ideal \(M\). Assume that, for a natural number \(n\), there are elements \(a_1,\dots, a_n\) of \(M\) such that \(M\) is a minimal prime of \(Ra_1+\dots+Ra_n\). Assume also that there exists a strictly descending chain \(M=P_1>\dots> P_t\) of prime ideals of \(R\) of length \(t>n\), with the following properties: (i) \(P_tR_M\) is finitely generated and (ii) \(R_M/P_tR_M\) is noetherian. Then \(t=n+1\) and there is a positive integer \(m\) such that \((0:P^m_t)\not\subseteq P_t\). In particular, every element of \(P_t\) is a zero-divisor of \(R\) and \(P_t\) is a minimal prime of 0. A corollary is the well-known (and more memorable) generalization of the (Krull's) principal ideal theorem: If \(R\) is a noetherian ring and \(I\) is an ideal of \(R\) generated by \(n\) elements, then the height of \(I\) is at most \(n\).