Math 504, Fall 2013

HW 3

n
1. Using only the fact that F pn is the splitting field of x p − x, show that F pm is a subfield
of F pn whenever m divides n.
m
Suppose n = mk for some k ∈ N. We know that F pm is the splitting field of x p − x and
m
thus every α ∈ F pm satisfies α p = α. Thus to show F pm is a subfield of F pmk , it suffices to
show that every α ∈ F pm also satisfies
mk
αp = α. (1)

In terms of the Frobenius automorphism σ( β) := β p , (1) says that σmk (α) = α for all
α ∈ F pm . We prove this holds for any k ∈ N by induction. We already saw above that
the case k = 1 holds. Let ` ∈ N and suppose σm` (α) = α for all α ∈ F pm . Then for any
α ∈ F pm ,
m
σm(`+1) (α) = σm σm` (α) = σm (α) = α p = α,

proving the claim. Thus F pm is a subfield of F pmk for all k ∈ N. 

2. Let ξ = ξ p . Let R = {ξ i | i ∈ Z}. Show that R is a ring with the operations

ξ i ⊕ ξ j = ξ i+ j and ξi ξ j = ξ ij .

Show that R ∼
= Fp.
We first show that R is a ring. We go through the details, even though it is somewhat
obvious that R inherits the ring structure of Z.
Clearly ⊕ is commutative and for any n ∈ Z, ξ n ⊕ ξ 0 = ξ n+0 = ξ n , and so ξ 0 is the
additive identity. Also, ξ n ⊕ ξ −n = ξ 0 , and so R is an abelian group under ⊕.
If `, m, n ∈ Z, then using the associativity of multiplication in Z, we find

(ξ ` ξm) ξ n = ξ `m ξ n = ξ `mn = ξ ` ξ mn = ξ ` (ξ m ξ n ),

and so multiplication is associative (as well as clearly being commutative). Furthermore,

ξ` (ξ m ⊕ ξ n ) = ξ ` ξ m+n = ξ `(m+n) = ξ `m+`n

= ξ `m ⊕ ξ `n = ( ξ ` ξ m ) ⊕ (ξ ` ξ n ).

Distribution from the right also follows from right distribution among the integers. 

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3. Let p be a prime number. Let ξ p = e2πi/p and K = Q(ξ ). Show there is a group
homomorphism Φ : Gal (K/Q) → Aut( R), the automorphism group of R. Deduce that
Gal (K/Q) ∼ = F× th
p , the multiplicative group of p roots of unity. Deduce that Gal ( K/Q)
is the cyclic group of order p − 1.

Let p be prime with ξ = ξ p and K = Q(ξ ). Then K is the splitting field of the pth
cyclotomic polynomial Φ p ( x ) (of degree p − 1) over Q, hence K/Q is a Galois extension.
Elements of G = Gal (K/Q) are automorphisms of K that fix Q, hence they are completely
determined by where they send ξ. The Galois group permutes the roots of Φ p ( x ), so the
distinct possibilities are ξ i for 1 ≤ i ≤ p − 1. Since [K/Q] = p − 1, each one of these
is an element of the Galois group. We will label the elements of Gal (KQ) as σi , where
σi (ξ ) = ξ i .
Now we consider group automorphisms under ⊕ of the group R above. We see that
the element ξ generates R under the ⊕ operation. Each automorphism must fix the iden-
tity element ξ 0 = 1 and is then completely determined by the image of ξ. In order to be
an automorphism, the image of ξ must also generate R under ⊕; the generators are ξ i for
1 ≤ i ≤ p − 1, so each of these gives a valid and distinct automorphism. Denote by τi the
automorphism defined by τi (ξ ) = ξ i .
Now we’ll write a map Ψ : Gal (K/Q) → Aut ( R) defined by Ψ(σi ) = τi . The oper-
ation of composition clearly carries through Ψ, so this is a group homomorphism. The
identity automorphism τ1 is uniquely the image of σ1 , the identity automorphism of G.
Hence, Ψ is injective. Each τi is the image of σi because the range of i is the same in both
cases. Hence, we have an isomorphism between Gal (K/Q) and Aut ( R).
From the result of problem (2), we also conclude that Gal (K/Q) is isomorphic to the
group of automorphisms of F p under addition. This is the same of the automorphisms of
Z p . For a general n ∈ Z, the automorphism group of Zn is isomorphic to the group of
units Z× n . This group is isomorphic to Z ϕ(n) where ϕ is Euler’s totient function. Hence, in
our case we have Gal (K/Q) ∼ = F× ∼
p = Z p−1 and this tells us that Gal ( K/Q) is the cyclic
group of order p − 1. 

4. Let p be an odd prime and ξ p = e2πi/p . Explain why there is a field F such that
√
Q ⊂ F ⊂ Q(ξ p ) and [ F : Q] = 2. Why is F = Q( d) for some d? Find d.

The field Q(ξ p ) is the splitting field of the pth cyclotomic polynomial f ( x ) = x p−1 +
x p−2 + · · · + x + 1. The roots of this polynomial are the primitive pth roots of unity ξ kp for
1 ≤ k ≤ p − 1. The discriminant ∆( f ) of f is defined to be:

∏
j
∆( f ) = (ξ ip − ξ p )2
1≤ i < j ≤ p −1

The Galois group G = Gal (Q(ξ p )/Q) is a group of permutations that acts on the roots
j
of f . If we permute the roots in the list of terms (ξ ip − ξ p ), we end up with the same list
except for a negative sign on some terms. If we are squaring every term, then we end

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up with exactly the same value. Said another way, ∆( f ) is fixed by every element in the
Galois group. Since this is a Galois extension, ∆( f ) must be an element of Q.
Now consider the square root of the discriminant:
q
∏ (ξ ip − ξ p )
j
∆( f ) =
1≤ i < j ≤ p −1

This is an element of Q(ξ p ), certainly, but it may or may not be an element of Q.

By the proof of Prop. 9.50 in the textbook we have
 
p − 1 a 1 . . . a p −2
 a1 a 2 . . . a p −1 
 
∆( f ) = det  a2 a3 . . . ap 


 .. 
 . 
a p −2 a p −1 . . . a2p−4
p −1 p −1
Now a p = ∑i=1 ξ ip = ∑i=1 1i = p − 1. The ai go up to 2p − 4 < 2p, so every other index
is relatively prime to p. For those a j (those where j 6= p):
p −1
aj = ∑ ξ ij = ∑× ξ ij = ∑ ξ k = −1
i =1 i ∈F p k=ij∈F×
p

That is, every other entry of the matrix is −1:

   
p − 1 −1 . . . −1 p 0 0 ... 0
 −1 −1 . . . −1   −1 −1 −1 ... −1
 
 
 −1 −1 . . . p − 1
∆( f ) = det   = det  0 0 0 ... p 


 ..   .. 
 .   . 
−1 −1 . . . −1 0 0 p ... 0
Note that I subtracted the second row from every other row to get the equality. By the
recursive definition of the determinant:
   
−1 −1 . . . −1 0 0 ... p
 0 0 ... p   .. 
∆( f ) = p det 

 = − p det 
  . 
.. 
 .  0 p . . . 0
0 p ... 0 p 0 ... 0

Note that the matrix above is ( p − 3) × ( p − 3). The final determinant is p p−3 sgn((1, p −
p −3
3)(2, p − 4)...). There are exactly 2 transpositions in that permutation, so the determi-
p −3 p −1
nant of the most recent matrix is (−1) 2 p p−3 , and overall, ∆( f ) = (−1) 2 p p−2 .
If we again use the notation 2r + 1 = p, then
q q q
p −1 p −1
r −1
∆( f ) = (−1) p 2 2 ( r − 1 )+ 1 =p (−1) 2 p
√ √
Thus we see that F = Q( p) if p ∼ = 1 mod 4, F = Q( − p) if p ∼ = 3 mod 4.


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5. Take p = 17 above. Find all fields F such that Q ⊂ F ⊂ Q(ζ p ). Each intermediate
field is of the form Q(α) for some α. Can you find a nice α for each F?

Let ζ = ζ 17 . Let K = Q(ζ ), and let G = Gal (K/Q). We have Gal (K/Q) ∼ = (Z/17Z)× ∼ =
2
C16 , the cyclic group of 16 elements by problem 3. The elements {1, ζ, ζ , . . . , ζ } form a 15

basis for K/Q. But since 1 + ζ + . . . + ζ 16 = 0, the elements {ζ, ζ 2 , . . . , ζ 15 , ζ 16 } also form a
Q−basis for K. It follows that elements σ ∈ G permute these basis elements, as these are
the primitive 17th roots of unity. We may use the Q−basis for K consisting of the elements

B = {ζ, ζ 2 , . . . , ζ 16 }

and any σ ∈ G simply permutes these basis elements. Following page 597 of Dummit &
Foote, if H ≤ G is a subgroup, then

αH = ∑ σ(ζ )
σ∈ H

is the sum of the Galois conjugates of ζ as automorphisms range over H. For any τ ∈ H,
the elements τσ run over the elements of H as σ runs through H, whence τα = α, so that
α ∈ Q H . However, if τ 6∈ H, then τα is the sum of basis elements given above. If it were
the case that τα = α (so that α ∈ Q as it is now fixed by all automorphisms), then since
these elements are a basis, we must have τ (ζ ) = σ (ζ ) for one of the terms σζ appearing
in the definition of α. But then then it would follow that τσ−1 = 1, the identity automor-
phism for this particular σ ∈ H, whence τ ∈ H, a contradiction. This shows that α is not
fixed by any automorphism not contained in H, so that Q(α) = K H .

A generator for the cyclic subgroup G ∼ = C16 is given by an automorphism σ map-

ping ζ 7→ ζ 3 , by order considerations. There are precisely three nontrivial subgroups
of C16 : C2 , C4 , and C8 , and we compute α for various subgroups H = Cj , j = 2, 4, 8, and
in the notation of G = hσ i, Cj = hσ16/j i.

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α2 = ζ + σ8 (ζ ) = ζ + ζ 3 = ζ + ζ 16 = ζ + ζ −1
4 8 12
α4 = ζ + σ4 (ζ ) + σ8 (ζ ) + σ12 (ζ ) = ζ + ζ 3 + ζ 3 + ζ 3 = ζ + ζ 13 + ζ −1 + ζ 4

α8 = ζ + σ2 ζ + σ4 ζ + σ6 ζ + σ8 ζ + σ10 ζ + σ12 ζ + σ14 ζ = ζ + ζ 9 + ζ 13 + ζ 15 + ζ −1 + ζ 8 + ζ 4 + ζ 2

6. Let K/Q be the splitting field of an irreducible polynomial of degree 3 and suppose
that Gal (K/Q) is the symmetric group S3 . Does K contain the three cube roots of 1?
Explain.

Let K/Q be the splitting field of an irreducible polynomial f ( x ) of degree 3 and suppose
that Gal (K/Q) is the symmetric group S3 . Since the Galois group is not contained in the

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alternating group An , the discriminant
√ of f ( x ) is not a square in Q and there is a non-
trivial quadratic extension Q( D )/Q. This must be in correspondence with an index-2
subgroup of S3 and there is only one such subgroup; namely, An .
If K contains all of the cube roots of unity, then K contains a subfield that is the splitting
field of x2 + x + 1 (the quadratic whose roots are the primitive cube roots of unity). This
√ 2 extension, so we now see that if K contains all of the cube roots of unity, the
is a degree
fields Q( D ) and Q(ξ 3 ) must be equal as the unique quadratic extension of Q contained
in K.
We will show that it is not true in general that K contains ξ 3 by providing a coun-
terexample. Let f ( x ) = x3 + 2x + 2. This is irreducible by Eisenstein’s criterion. Its
discriminant is D = −4(2)3 − 27(2)2 = −140. This is factored as −4(35), which is not a
square in Q. The only possible Galois groups of√irreducible cubics are S3 or A3 , as these
are the only transitive subgroups of S3 . Since D is not in Q, the Galois group is not
contained in A3 and it must be all of √ S3 . Hence, we are in √ the situation set out above.
The field Q(ξ 3 ) is realized as Q( −3), as ξ 3 = 2 + i 3/2. As proved before, if the
1
√
splitting
√ field of f ( x ) contains the cube roots of unity then it must be that Q( −3) =
Q( −35. Suppose √ that this is the case; every element in the second field can be written
in the form p + q −35 for some p, q ∈ Q. Then there exists p, q such that:
√ √
−3 = p + q −35
√ √
( −3)2 = ( p + q −35)2
√
−3 = p2 − 35q2 + 2pq −35
√
This is a contradiction, as it implies that −35 is an element of Q. Hence, it is not true in
general that the splitting field of an irreducible polynomial with Galois group S3 contains
the cube roots of unity. 

7. Show that F16 = F4 (α) where α is a primitive 5th root of 1 over F2 .

We have that the minimal polynomial of α in F2 is p( x ) = 1 + x + x2 + x3 + x4 : irre-
ducibility can be checked directly, since there are not many irreducible polynomials of
small degree over F2 .
Moreover, we know that p( x )| x16 − x. Since F16 is a splitting field for x16 − x, α ∈ F16 .
Now, since [F2 (α) : F2 ] = 4 it follows that F16 = F2 (α). Since F4 /F2 is a degree two
/ F4 , and the containment F4 ⊆ F16 gives us that F16 = F4 (α).
extension, α ∈


8. If F16 = F4 (α) where α is a primitive 5th root of 1 over F2 is there an element

σ ∈ Gal (F1 6/F4 ) such that σ (α) = α2 ? What about σ(α) = α3 ?
The answer is no. The Frobenius automorphism F : x 7→ x2 is a generator of G =
Gal (F16 /F2 ) ' Z/4Z, as one can verify directly. Since F4 is the splitting field of x4 − x,
then F2 ( x ) = x4 = x for all x ∈ F4 one can see that F2 fixes F4 hence Gal (F16 /F2 ) is
cyclic of order two, generated by F2 . Therefore the only Galois conjugates of α are α and
α4 = α−1 , and none of them is equal to α2 or α3 .