Why every prime element is irreducible in an integral domain.

Prelims:

p is primep is a prime ideal

Prime elements are such that if they divide a product, then their divide one of the factors.

Irreducible elements are ones that always have a unit as a factor.

Proof:

  1. Let p be prime. Then if pab we have it so either pa or pb. For this case assume pa.
  2. So k such that p=ka. We have to now show that if this is the case, either k or a has to be a unit.