For the purposes of defining the data structure of integers in a Coq-like system, I am looking for an _algebraic_ characterization of integers Z as a commutative ring with unit. (The one-element ring is a ring.) Some possible characterizations which I don't much like: 1) Z is the free group generated by one generator. I want the ring structure, not the group structure. 2) Z is the free ring generated by the semiring of natural numbers. This just translates the problem to characterization of the semiring of natural numbers. 3) Z is the initial non-trivial ring. This is no good because "non-trivial" is an inequality "0 =/= 1" rather than an equality. 4) Let R be the free commutative ring with unit generated by X. Then Z is the image of the homomorphism R --> R which maps X to 0. This is just ugly and there must be something better. I feel like I am missing something obvious. Surely Z appears as a prominent member of the category of commutative rings with unit, does it not? Best regards, Andrej