Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2024/ii/paper-2/18h/b/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ii Paper 2 18H b Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
The rational-root test shows that is irreducible. Its discriminant iswhich is not a square in . The Galois group of an irreducible cubic therefore gives
Quadratic subfields correspond to order-three subgroups. The unique such subgroup is , and its fixed field is generated by the alternating product of root differences, whose square is . Thus the unique quadratic subfield is
Let the roots be and choose
, so . Put . A nonidentity even permutation moves and fixes , so it cannot fix . An odd permutation negates . If it fixes , it plainly does not fix . If it sends to and fixed , then . Cancelling the factor in the expression for would giveBut , so this would make equal to or , contradicting the irreducibility of its cubic minimal polynomial. The other transpositions are identical. Hence has trivial stabilizer, so
, so . Put . A nonidentity even permutation moves and fixes , so it cannot fix . An odd permutation negates . If it fixes , it plainly does not fix . If it sends to and fixed , then . Cancelling the factor in the expression for would giveBut , so this would make equal to or , contradicting the irreducibility of its cubic minimal polynomial. The other transpositions are identical. Hence has trivial stabilizer, so
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