  Given a certain factorization property of a ring $R$, we can ask if this
property extends to the polynomial ring over $R$ or vice versa. For example, it
is well known that $R$ is a unique factorization domain if and only if $R[X]$
is a unique factorization domain. If $R$ is not a domain, this is no longer
true. In this paper we survey unique factorization in commutative rings with
zero divisors, and characterize when a polynomial ring over an arbitrary
commutative ring has unique factorization.
