Every Commutative Ring Has a Minimal Ring Extension

Abstract

Let R be a commutative unital ring and E a unital R-module. Then the canonical injective ring homomorphism from R into the idealization R(+) E is a minimal ring homomorphism if and only if E is a simple R-module. For E nonzero, R(+)E is not (R-algebra isomorphic to) an overring of R. If E 1 and E 2 are nonisomorphic simple R-modules, then R(+) E 1 and R(+) E 2 give minimal ring extensions of R which are not isomorphic as R-algebras. The ring of dual numbers over R is a minimal ring extension of R ⇔ R × R is a minimal ring extension of R ⇔ R is a field.