Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2007/ii/paper-3/18f/i/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2007 ii Paper 3 18F i Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
Let . The four roots are , so . Eisenstein's criterion at three gives . This field is real, so adjoining doubles the degree and .
Define , , and complex conjugation , . The first automorphism exists because over the minimal polynomial of has degree four and all four roots are in ; the second is immediate. They satisfy and . The eight maps and are distinct and exhaust the eight automorphisms. Thusthe dihedral group of order eight, acting on the four roots as the symmetries of a square. On every element of , the action is determined by the displayed images of , or by extending them linearly to the basis with , .
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