Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2008/ii/paper-3/18h/b/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2008 ii Paper 3 18H b Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
A separable algebraic element has a minimal polynomial with distinct roots in an algebraic closure. A separable field extension is an algebraic extension all of whose elements are separable. In characteristic , the extension is inseparable: the minimal polynomial of is , irreducible over the smaller field but having the single root with multiplicity .
If is a finite field of order , every element of is a root of , because contains its prime field. This polynomial has derivative , so it has no repeated roots. Every element's minimal polynomial divides it and is therefore separable. Hence is separable.
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