On treed Nagata rings (Q582328)

Let R be a commutative integral domain and \(R'\) its integral closure. If X is an indeterminate over R, the Nagata ring R(X) is the ring of fractions \(R[X]_ S\), where S is the set of polynomials in R[X] with unit content. The ring R is said to be treed in case no maximal ideal of R contains incomparable prime ideals. It is proved that \(R'\) is a Prüfer domain if and only if the canonical map \(Spec(R(X))\to Spec(R)\) is a homeomorphism. As a corollary, it follows that R(X) is treed if and only if R is treed and \(R'\) is Prüfer. The cases when R(X) is going- down, an i-domain, universally going-down are also studied. Similar results are obtained for the ring \(R<X>\), which is the ring of fractions \(R[X]_ U\), U being the set of monic polynomials in R[X]. It is also proved that if R is integrally closed, then the inclusion map from R into the completion \(R^ b\) is universally going-down if and only if R is a Prüfer domain.