Problemy Matematyczne

15 (1997), 57-62

The Minimal Polynomials of cos(27t/п)

over Q
Ism ail Naci Cangül

1. In tr o d u c tio n
It is well known that a prim itive n-th root o f unity, satisfies the
equation
ж” - 1 = 0 . (1)

In this work we study the minimal polynomials o f the real part of ( , i.e.
of cos ( 2 n / n ) , over the rationale. This number also plays an important
role in some geometrical calculations with 3-dimensional solid figures
and in the theory o f regular star polygons. W e use a paper o f Watkin
and Zeitlin ([2]) to produce further results. In the calculations, we use
another class o f polynomials called Chebysheff polynomials. They are
recalled here and form the subject o f section 2. B y means o f them
we obtain several cerurrence formulae for the minimal polynomials of
cos (27r/n).

2. C h e b y s h e ff p o ly n o m ia ls

D e fin itio n 1 Let n £ N U {0 }. Then the n-th Chebysheff polynomial,

denoted by T n[ x ) , is defined by

T n( x ) = cos(n • arccos z ), iÇ R , |x| < 1, (2)

58. i. N. Cangiil
or

T n(cos9) = cosnö, 9 G R, (9 — arccos x + 2kźT, к € Z). (3)

W e will drop the conditions on x and 9 since they always apply.

E x a m p le 1

Let us compute T 7(x ). Let 9 — arccos x. Then

T r ( x ) = TV(cos 9) — cos 79 — Re ((cos 9 + i sin 0 )7) ,

hence
T 7( x ) = 6 4 x 7 — 112a:5 + 56a:3 — 7x. (4)

The first few Chebysheff polynomials are given below:

В Д = 1,
В Д .. X,

T 2(x ) = 2 z2 — 1,

а д = 4x3 — 3x,

а д = 8a:4 — 8x2 + 1,
T 5( x ) = 16a:5 — 20x3 + 5.г,
T e (x ) = 32x6 — 48a:4 + 18a:2 — 1,
T 7( x ) = 64a:7 - 112a:5 + 56a:3 - 7x

There is the following recurrence formulae for T n :

L e m m a 1 Let n G N. Then

Tn+ i( x ) = 2Tn( x ) - Tn_ i( x ) . (6)

This is a result o f some trigonometric identities.

It follows that the degree of T n( x ) is n and its leading coefficient is
2n_1. This can be proven by induction on n. There are some identities
involving Chebysheff polynomials:
 T he m in im a l po lyno m ia ls ... .59

Lem m a 2

(x - 1) • (Г 2п+1(х ) - 1) - (Г п+1(х ) - T n( x ) ) 2, (7)

2 • ( x 2 - l ) • (T 2n(x ) - 1) = (T n+i ( x ) - T n_ i ( x ) ) 2 if n ф 0. (8)

3. T h e m in im a l p o ly n o m ia ls o f cos(27rf n ) o v e r Q
For n 6 N, we denote the minimal polynomial o f cos(27r/n) over
Q by Ф „ (х ). Then Watkins and Zeitlin ([2 ]) used the Galois theory to
show the following:

L e m m a 3 deg Ф о (х ) = deg Ф 2(х ) and deg Ф „ (х ) = ip(n)/2 f o r n > 3,

where ip denotes the Euler p-function.

Since <r(£) = is an automorphism o f Q ( {) over Q then the roots

o f Ф то(х ) over Q are

{cos (2kir/m) : к G N ( к , т ) — 1, к < п, where п = [т / 2 ]} .

In [2] the relations between Ф^э and T E s are given as follows:

L e m m a 4 Let m € N and let n be as above. Then

Г п+1( х ) - Г п(х ) = 2П - П а д (9 )
d\m

i f m is odd and

( 10)
d\m

i f m is even.

By means o f Lemm a 4 we obtain the following formulae for the

minimal polynomial Ф п(х ).
60. i. N. Cangiil

T h e o r e m 1 Let m £ N and let n be as above. Then

(a ) Ф х (х) = x — 1, Ф2(х ) = x + 1,
( b ) I f m is odd and prime then

iTr , л T n+1( x ) - T n( x )
Wm X) = : .
K ’ 2 "(x — 1)

( c ) //4|m, then

T n+i ( x ) - i(æ )
Ф ш (х) =
2” /2 ■ ( ? § + l ( x ) - T f _ ! ( x ) ) ■rid|m,^m,d/f

( d ) I f m is even and m/2 is odd, then

ф / X_ r n+i ( x ) - r n_ i ( x ) ______________
2 n-n' . (Г п.+1(х ) - Tn- (x )) • rid|m,d5ém,2|d ’M * ) ’

where
. m/2 — 1
П = — 2— *

( e ) Let m be odd and let p be a prime dividing m. I f p2\m, then

ф (x ) — T n+ i ( x ) - ?n(x)
’ 2n~n' • (T n/+1(x ) — T „ / (x ))’

where
/ m/p- 1

7/p2|m, i/ien

r n+i ( x ) - Г „ (х )
Ф щ (х)
2 "- "' • (T n/+ i ( x ) - Tn» (x )) Фр(х ) ’

where
t rn/p - 1
n = ----------- .
 T he m in im a l po lyno m ials .61

P r o o f, (a ) I f m = 1 then n = 0. Therefore by Lemma 4 (9),

ф1<» = - T° ( x )) = x - l .

Similarly for m = 2, = x + 1.
( b ) Let m be an odd prime. Then n — and by Lemm a 4 (9),
Tn+1(x ) — T „ (x ) = 2" • Ф ^э:) ■ Фт (:г) and the result follows.
The proofs o f (c ), (d ) and (e ) are similar. Hence we shall prove (d )
only. Let m be even and m/2 be odd. By Lemma 4

T n+ i ( x ) — Tn( x ) = 2” • JJ Ф ^(х)
d\m

since m is even and

Tn'+ i ( x ) - T n' ( x ) = 2” Д ФДх)

d\m

since m/2 is odd, where

m/2 — 1
n
2

Now

П Ф^(ж) = Фт (а:) • П
d\m, d ^ m , 2|d

and hence the result follows.

E x a m p le 2 (a)

Let us determine the minimal polynomial of cos(27r/5) over Q. By

theorem 1 (b )
62. I. N. Cangiil

(b ) Determ ine the minimal polynomial of c o s (27 t / 1 0 ) over Q. By

theorem 1 (d ), n! = 2 and

■( в д - в д ) ■ п «M*)
d\lO,d.^lO,2\d

Therefore we have established some recurrence formulae for the

minimal polynomial Фт ( х) of cos(27r/га) over Q.

REFERENCES

[1] I. N. Cangiil, D. Singerman, N orm al Subgroups o f Hecke groups

and regular maps, to be printed in Proc. Camb. Phil. Soc.,

[2] W . Watkins, J. Zeitlin, The minimal polynomial o f cos(2n/n),

Am er. Math. Monthly, 100 (1993), p. 471-474.

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