No label defined (Q4517568)

Let \(R\) be a commutative ring with identity and let \(U(R)\) be the group of units of \(R\). It is said that the elements \(a,b\in R\) are very strong associates if either (i) \(a=b=0\) or (ii) \(a\neq 0\), \(Ra=Rb\) and \(r\in U(R)\) for all \(r\in R\) such that \(a=rb\). Let \(a\in R\) be a non-unit. Then a is said to be a very strong atom if \(a=bc\), with \(b\), \(c\in R\) implies that \(a\) is very strong associated with either \(b\) or \(c\). \(R\) is said to be antimatter if \(R\) does not contain any very strong atoms except possibly zero. Let \(P^0(R)\) be the monoid of principal ideals of \(R\), partially ordered by reverse inclusion. The main results established by the authors are: (1) Let \(R\) be a commutative valuation ring. Then either \(R\) is an anti-matter ring or \(R\) contains (up to very strong associates) exactly one very strong atom; (2) Let \(R\) be a quasilocal commutative ring. Then \(R\) is an antimatter ring if and only if \(P^0(R)\) has no minimal positive elements; (3) Let \(n\geq 2\) be an integer. Then there exists a decomposition of the ring of integers modulo \(n\) as \(Z_n=A \times \prod U_i\), where each \(U_i\) has a unique (up to very strong associates) very strong atom and \(A\) is either 0 or an antimatter ring; (4) Every commutative ring can be embedded in an antimatter ring. For the entire collection see [Zbl 0944.00041].