Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-options-i-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2012/a/a1/b/solution
Past exam of the options I course of the University of Oxford 2012 A A1 b Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-31
The notation means that is the smallest subfield containing both and , namely the simple field extension generated by . Its elements can be expressed as rational functions in with coefficients in and nonzero denominator.
Write . The element is a root of , so its minimal polynomial over has degree at most two. Since , that degree cannot be one. The degree of the simple field extension equals the degree of the minimal polynomial, givingIn particular form an -basis, so every element is uniquely . This argument also works in characteristic two; separability is not needed for this part.
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