Prime ideals in finite extensions of Noetherian rings (Q2640678)

Let \(R\subset S\) be noetherian rings such that S is finitely generated as a right R-module. This interesting paper is concerned with connections between the prime spectra of R of S, especially in relation to the modern ideas of links and the second layer condition that have proved useful in studies of localisation and representation theory of noetherian rings. In many of the results one of the following two additional conditions is assumed: either S is finitely generated as a left R-module, or R has finite Gelfand-Kirillov dimension. In this review we will not specify exact hypotheses but just give a general idea of the results. If R satisfies the second layer condition or strong second layer condition then it is shown that S has the corresponding condition, while if R is right fully bounded then so is S. If P is a prime ideal of S and Q a prime ideal of R then P is said to lie over Q if Q is a minimal prime ideal over \(P\cap R\). ``Lying over'' and ``going up'' theorems are proved for extensions satisfying the second layer condition. If \(Q_{\alpha}\) and \(Q_{\beta}\) are prime ideals of R then there is a link from \(Q_{\alpha}\) to \(Q_{\beta}\) if there is an \(R/Q_{\alpha}\)-R/Q\({}_{\beta}\)-bimodule \(M=Q_{\alpha}\cap Q_{\beta}/A\), for some ideal \(A\supset Q_{\alpha}Q_{\beta}\) of R, such that M is torsion free on each side; if there are ideals \(A\subset B\) of R such that B/A is an \(R/Q_{\alpha}\)-R/Q\({}_{\beta}\)-bimodule torsion free on each side then there is an ideal link from \(Q_{\alpha}\) to \(Q_{\beta}\). The author shows that if \(R\subset S\) is an extension of rings with the second layer condition and \(Q_{\alpha}\), \(Q_{\beta}\) are linked prime ideals of R then there are ideal linked prime ideals \(P_{\alpha}\), \(P_{\beta}\) of S lying over \(Q_{\alpha}\), \(Q_{\beta}\) respectively. Consequently, there are prime ideals \(P_{\alpha}=P_ 1,P_ 2,...,P_ n=P_{\beta}\) with each \(P_ i\) linked to \(P_{i+1}\). The theory of noetherian bimodules is invoked to provide comparisons between prime ideals P,Q where P lies over Q: for example, if Q is right primitive then P is right primitive. A number of examples and counterexamples are given to show the limitations of these results and in the final section the utility of the results is illustrated by a discussion of the finite extension U(\({\mathfrak g}_ 0)\subset U({\mathfrak g})\), of the universal enveloping algebras arising from a finite dimensional Lie superalgebra \({\mathfrak g}={\mathfrak g}_ 0\oplus {\mathfrak g}_ 1\).