Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2005/ii/paper-1/20g/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 ii Paper 1 20G Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
The three quadratic subfields are , and . Their integer rings are respectively , and , since their squarefree radicands are modulo four. Write . Relative traces to these three fields are , and . Traces of algebraic integers are integral, so all four doubled coefficients are integers. ThusThe PDF names the wrong quadratic subfield for its next displayed norm coefficients. They are obtained from , not . The relevant conjugation changes the sign of , givingIts membership in proves the requested divisibilities. For comparison, the norm to the printed subfield is , a different expression.
The first divisibility modulo two makes have the same parity. The second makes even, so they cannot both be odd: and are even. Substituting this into the first divisibility modulo four shows is even, hence . Therefore every algebraic integer is an integer linear combination ofIndeed the last two half-coefficients are . These four elements are rationally independent. They are all integral: for , , and consequentlyis a monic polynomial with integer coefficients. Their integer span consists of algebraic integers and contains every algebraic integer by the preceding argument, proving the integral basis of a two-prime biquadratic field. This repairs the subfield typo without changing the claimed basis.
New to topics? Read the docs here!