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Exercise 1869Algebra › Rings and fieldsM1Added 3 Nov 2026

$\mathbb{Z}[i]$ is Euclidean

#Euclidean domain#Gaussian integers#division

Statement

Show that Z[i]\mathbb{Z}[i] is a Euclidean domain with the norm N(a+bi)=a2+b2N(a+bi)=a^2+b^2.

Hint

For z,w∈Z[i]z,w\in\mathbb{Z}[i] with w≠0w\neq0, write z/w=x+yiz/w=x+yi with x,y∈Qx,y\in\mathbb{Q}, then round to nearest integers.

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Solution

Division. Let z,w∈Z[i]z,w\in\mathbb{Z}[i], w≠0w\neq0. Write z/w=x+yi∈Q[i]z/w=x+yi\in\mathbb{Q}[i]. Let q=m+niq=m+ni with m,nm,n the nearest integers to x,yx,y. Then ∣x−m∣≤1/2|x-m|\le1/2, ∣y−n∣≤1/2|y-n|\le1/2.

Remainder. Let r=z−qwr=z-qw. Then N(r)=N(w)N(z/w−q)=N(w)[(x−m)2+(y−n)2]≤N(w)(1/4+1/4)=N(w)/2<N(w)N(r)=N(w)N(z/w-q)=N(w)[(x-m)^2+(y-n)^2]\le N(w)(1/4+1/4)=N(w)/2<N(w).

Conclusion. For every z,wz,w with w≠0w\neq0, there exist q,r∈Z[i]q,r\in\mathbb{Z}[i] with z=qw+rz=qw+r and N(r)<N(w)N(r)<N(w). So Z[i]\mathbb{Z}[i] is Euclidean, hence a PID and UFD.