Polynomial and Power Series Rings

Abstract

Among commutative rings, the polynomial rings in a finite number of indeterminates enjoy important special properties and are frequently used in applications. As they are also of paramount importance in Algebraic Geometry, polynomial rings have been intensively studied. On the other hand, rings of formal power series have been extensively used in “algebroid geometry” and have many properties which are parallel to those of polynomial rings. In the first section of this chapter we shall define formal power series rings and we shall show that the main properties of polynomial rings which have been derived in previous chapters (see, in particular, Vol. I, Ch. I, §§ 16–18) hold also for formal power series rings. In the later sections of this chapter we shall give deeper properties of polynomial rings and, whenever possible, the parallel properties of power series rings.