Existence of Field of Quotients

Theorem
If $$\left({D, +, \circ}\right)$$ is an integral domain, then there exists a quotient field of $$\left({D, +, \circ}\right)$$.

Proof
Let $$\left({D, +, \circ}\right)$$ be an integral domain whose zero is $$0_D$$ and whose unity is $$1_D$$.

By the Inverse Completion Theorem, there exists an inverse completion $$\left({K, \circ}\right)$$ of $$\left({D, \circ}\right)$$.

Thus $$\left({K, \circ}\right)$$ is a commutative semigroup such that:


 * 1) $$e_K = 1_D$$;
 * 2) Every element of $$\left({D^*, \circ}\right)$$ has an inverse in $$\left({K, \circ}\right)$$;
 * 3) Every element of $$\left({K, \circ}\right)$$ is of the form $$x \circ y^{-1}$$ (which we can also denote $$x / y$$), where $$x \in D, y \in D^*$$.

In what follows, we take for granted the associativity and commutativity of $$+$$ and $$\circ$$.


 * We require to extend the operation $$+$$ on $$D$$ to a composition $$+'$$ on $$K$$, so that $$\left({K, +', \circ}\right)$$ is a field.

By Addition of Division Products, it makes sense to define $$+'$$ as:

$$\forall x, y \in D, \forall z, w \in D^*: \frac x z +' \frac y w = \frac {x \circ w + y \circ z} {z \circ w}$$

where we have defined $$\frac a b = a \circ b^{-1} = b^{-1} \circ a$$ as here.


 * We need to ensure that $$+'$$ is well-defined.

Let $$x, y, x', y' \in D, z, w, z', w' \in D^*$$ such that:

$$\frac x z = \frac {x'} {z'}, \frac y w = \frac {y'} {w'}$$

Then:

Similarly, $$y \circ w' = y' \circ w$$.

(Compare the result in Construction of Inverse Completion: Proof 2.)

Hence:

Thus:

showing that $$+'$$ is indeed well-defined.


 * Next, we see that:

$$\forall x, y \in D: x +' y = \frac {x \circ 1_D + y \circ 1_D} {1_D \circ 1_D} = x + y$$

So $$+'$$ induces the given operation $+$ on its substructure $$D$$.


 * It is easy to verify that $$\left({K, +'}\right)$$ is an abelian group, and that $$\circ$$ distributes over $$+'$$.

Therefore, $$\left({K, +', \circ}\right)$$ is a commutative ring with unity.


 * As a consequence, from Ring Product with Zero:

$$\forall x \in D, y \in D^*: x / y \ne 0_D \Longrightarrow x \ne 0_D$$

Thus $$x / y$$ has the product inverse $$y / x$$ in $$K$$.


 * Thus $$\left({K, +', \circ}\right)$$ is a quotient field of $$\left({D, +, \circ}\right)$$.