Does there exist a homomorphism from $\mathbb{Z}$ to any ring?

Question

If a ring $R$ has 1 then I can see how we can always form a homomorphism $\phi: \mathbb{Z} \rightarrow R$ by sending 0 to 0 and 1 to 1. However, is there an example of a ring $R$ without identity for which there is not homomorphism from $\mathbb{Z}$ to $R?$

Answer 1

If you're working with rings without identity and don't need your homomorphisms to preserve 1 then there is always the zero map which is a homomorphism of rings without units.

There are rings such that the zero map is the only homomorphism: e.g. the only map $\varphi: \mathbb{Z} \rightarrow 2 \mathbb{Z}$ is the zero map, because we have $\varphi(1) = \varphi (1)^2$ and in $2 \mathbb{Z}$ the only solution to this is $0$.