Let $P$ be a principal proper ideal in an integral domain.
Is it $P^2 \subset P$ in general? If yes, how to prove it?
For example, if you look at the ideal $(3)=3\mathbb{Z}$ in $\mathbb{Z}$, it is quite simple to show that $3$ is not in $(3)^2$, but how to prove a similar property in a more general context?
Now suppose that we have a Dedekind domain.
If $P$ is a principal prime ideal, does $P^2 \neq P$ (and so $P^2 \subset P$) follow from the fact that there is a sort of unique factorization of proper ideals in terms of prime ideals?
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). It is usually a good idea to be emphatic about this in notation. – Mariano Suárez-Álvarez Feb 15 '12 at 06:15