Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-galois-theory-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2023/3/d/solution

Put , and . By the preceding separability criterion using a pth power, it suffices to prove .
Since is separable, . But , so . Consequently
Let and be the monic minimal polynomials of over and , respectively. Both divide its separable minimal polynomial over , so both are separable. Also in .
Every has . Hence has coefficients in and vanishes at , forcing in . Since remains a square-free polynomial over , this divisibility implies in . Together with , monicity gives . Therefore
The tower law makes . Part (c) now proves that is separable over . This establishes closure of separable algebraic elements under addition without presupposing that closure as a field theorem.

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