Fraction field
The field obtained from an integral domain by adjoining inverses to all nonzero elements.
Let be an integral domain. The fraction field is the set of equivalence classes of pairs with , under
Write the class of as . Addition and multiplication are defined by
and these operations make a field. The map , , is an injective ring map.
Universal property. If is a field and is a ring monomorphism, then there exists a unique field homomorphism with for all .
Remarks
For domains, agrees with the total ring of fractions (since every nonzero element is a non-zero-divisor).