The Stacks project

Proof. If one of the $a_ i$ is a unit this is just the statement that any element of the form $t_1 + a_2 t_2 + \ldots + a_ n t_ n$ is a nonzerodivisor in the polynomial ring over $R$.

Case I: $R$ is Noetherian. Let $\mathfrak q_ j$, $j = 1, \ldots , m$ be the associated primes of $R$. We have to show that each of the maps

is injective. As $\text{Sym}^ d(R^{\oplus n})$ is a free $R$-module its associated primes are $\mathfrak q_ j$, $j = 1, \ldots , m$. For each $j$ there exists an $i = i(j)$ such that $a_ i \not\in \mathfrak q_ j$ because there exists an $x \in R$ with $\mathfrak q_ jx = 0$ but $a_ i x \not= 0$ for some $i$ by assumption. Hence $a_ i$ is a unit in $R_{\mathfrak q_ j}$ and the map is injective after localizing at $\mathfrak q_ j$. Thus the map is injective, see Algebra, Lemma 10.63.19.

Case II: $R$ general. We can write $R$ as the union of Noetherian rings $R_\lambda$ with $a_1, \ldots , a_ n \in R_\lambda$. For each $R_\lambda$ the result holds, hence the result holds for $R$. $\square$