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A meromorphic function $f$ has an algebraic addition theorem if some nonzero polynomial $P\in \mathbb{C}[U,V,W]$ satisfies $P(f(z),f(w),f(z+w))=0$ wherever the three values are finite. For a polynomial $f$ of degree $d>0$, take roots $z_i$ of $f(z)-U$ and $w_j$ of $f(w)-V$; the product ${\prod }_{i,j}(W-f(z_i+w_j))$ has polynomial coefficients in $U,V$ by the Fundamental theorem of symmetric polynomials, is monic in $W$, and supplies an addition relation. An elliptic function also has such a relation, by finite algebraic extension of its function field and the Weierstrass elliptic function addition formula.

The complex algebraic numbers form a field, the algebraic closure of $\mathbb{Q}$ inside $\mathbb{C}$. To see closure under the field operations, if $\alpha ,\beta$ are algebraic numbers, the tower law makes $\mathbb{Q}(\alpha ,\beta )$ a finite-dimensional field extension of $\mathbb{Q}$. Every element of this extension is an algebraic element, because its successive powers are linearly dependent. In particular it contains $\alpha \pm \beta$, $\alpha \beta$ and $\alpha /\beta$ when $\beta \ne 0$.

It is an infinite-degree algebraic extension. A primitive $p$th root of unity has minimal polynomial of an algebraic element $1+X+\cdots +X^{p-1}$ of degree $p-1$ for every prime $p$, so the degrees of its finite subextensions are unbounded. Finally a complex root of a polynomial whose coefficients are algebraic numbers is itself algebraic over their finite-degree coefficient field and hence over $\mathbb{Q}$, again by the tower law. Thus every such polynomial splits in this field, establishing the algebraic closure assertion.

For genuine degrees three and two, the resultant is the Sylvester matrix determinantEquivalently, if $r_1,r_2,r_3$ are the roots of $p$, counted with multiplicity, then $R(p,q)=a^2{\prod }_{i}q(r_i)$. Thus $R(p,q)\ne 0$ means that the polynomials have no common root, or equivalently are coprime over $\mathbb{C}$. One can also see this from the matrix: its singularity gives a nonzero relation $Ap+Bq=0$ with $\mathrm{deg}A<2$, $\mathrm{deg}B<3$. If $p,q$ were coprime, $p\mid B$ would force $B=0$, then $A=0$, a contradiction. Conversely, a common factor supplies such a relation after dividing $p,q$ by that factor. When a leading coefficient is zero, use the resultant for the actual polynomial degrees rather than assuming the displayed fixed-degree criterion unchanged.

An algebraic addition theorem for a meromorphic function $f$ means a nonzero polynomial $P(U,V,W)$ withidentically where the values are finite. A local relation extends meromorphically to the other regular arguments.

For a polynomial $f$ of positive degree $d$, let $z_i$ be the $d$ roots of $f(z)-U$ and $w_j$ the $d$ roots of $f(w)-V$. FormIts coefficients are separately symmetric polynomials in the two sets of roots. The Fundamental theorem of symmetric polynomials and the fixed nonzero leading coefficient of $f$ show they are polynomials in $U,V$. The expression is monic of degree $d^2$ in $W$, so it is nonzero. If $U=f(z)$, $V=f(w)$, one factor vanishes at $W=f(z+w)$. This proves the addition relation, including at exceptional multiple-root values by polynomial identity. A constant polynomial instead has the relation $W-f(0)=0$.

For the elliptic case, let $E=\mathbb{C}/\Lambda$. A nonconstant elliptic function $f$ defines a finite morphism $E\to {\mathbb{P}}^1$, so the function field of $E$ is a finite algebraic extension of $\mathbb{C}(f)$. The elliptic function-field decomposition expresses it as $\mathbb{C}(\wp ,{\wp }^{\prime })$, withThe Weierstrass addition formula makes translation algebraic:Differentiating and using the cubic differential equation also makes ${\wp }^{\prime }(z+w)$ rational in the four separate values. Therefore $f(z+w)$ lies in a finite algebraic extension of $\mathbb{C}(f(z),f(w))$. Its algebraic equation, after clearing denominators, is the required polynomial relation. This sketches why every elliptic function, not only $\wp$, has an algebraic addition theorem. Constants are already covered.

For the final assertion, consider $f(z)=e^{e^z}$, an entire function. If $c$ is a period, then $e^{e^z(e^c-1)}=1$ for every $z$. The continuous exponent must be a constant integer multiple of $2\pi i$; its derivative forces $e^c=1$. Hence its periods are exactly $2\pi i\mathbb{Z}$, making it a simply periodic function.

Suppose it had an algebraic addition theorem $P$. There are only finitely many values $V_0$ for which $P(U,V_0,W)$ is identically zero: a nonzero coefficient polynomial in $V$ already bounds this exceptional set. Choose a positive irrational $\alpha$ with $e^{\alpha }$ outside this set, and set $c=\log \alpha$. Specializing $w=c$ gives a nonzero polynomial $Q(U,W)=P(U,e^{\alpha },W)$ and, with $t=e^z$,All exponents with nonzero coefficients are distinct, by irrationality of $\alpha$. Divide by the exponential with largest real exponent and let $t\to +\infty$; its nonzero coefficient would have to tend to zero. This contradiction proves that simple periodicity does not imply an algebraic addition theorem. It is the simply periodic entire function without an algebraic addition theorem example.

An element $x$ of an extension $L/K$ is an algebraic element over $K$ when some nonzero polynomial in $K[t]$ vanishes at $x$. Let its monic minimal polynomial have degree $d$. Polynomial division shows $K[x]$ is spanned by $1,x,\dots ,x^{d-1}$, and minimality makes these vectors independent. The minimal polynomial is irreducible; for any nonzero $q(x)$, Bezout's identity between $q$ and that polynomial gives a polynomial representative for $q(x{)}^{-1}$. Thus $K[x]$ is a field, equals $K(x)$, and has degree $d$.

Conversely, if $K(x)$ has finite vector-space dimension $d$, then $1,x,\dots ,x^d$ are linearly dependent over $K$, giving a nonzero annihilating polynomial. HenceAn algebraic extension is one in which every element is algebraic. Suppose $M/L$ and $L/K$ are algebraic, and take $\alpha \in M$. A polynomial relation for $\alpha$ over $L$ uses only finitely many coefficients $a_1,\dots ,a_r$. Each is algebraic over $K$, so adjoining them successively gives a finite extension $E=K(a_1,\dots ,a_r)$, by the proved criterion and the tower law. The same relation makes $\alpha$ algebraic over $E$, so $E(\alpha )/E$ is finite. Therefore $E(\alpha )/K$ is finite, and its subspace $K(\alpha )$ is finite-dimensional. The criterion makes $\alpha$ algebraic over $K$. Since $\alpha$ was arbitrary, $M/K$ is algebraic.

An element is algebraic over $F$ if it is a zero of some nonzero polynomial in $F[x]$. An extension is algebraic if every element is algebraic. If $[K:F]=d<\infty$, the $d+1$ elements $1,\alpha ,\dots ,{\alpha }^d$ are linearly dependent over $F$, proving every $\alpha \in K$ is algebraic.

The converse fails for the algebraic closure $\overline{\mathbb{Q}}$ inside $\mathbb{C}$. All its elements are algebraic by definition, but it contains $2^{1/n}$ of degree $n$ for every positive integer $n$, since $x^n-2$ is irreducible by Eisenstein's criterion at two. A finite extension could not contain elements of unbounded degree, so this algebraic extension is infinite.

An element $\alpha$ is an algebraic element over $F$ if some nonzero polynomial in $F[X]$ vanishes at $\alpha$. A field extension is an algebraic extension if each of its elements is an algebraic element over $F$. If $[K:F]=d<\infty$, the $d+1$ vectors $1,\alpha ,\dots ,{\alpha }^d$ are linearly dependent, producing such a polynomial. Thus every finite field extension is an algebraic extension.

The converse fails for the field of algebraic numbers $\overline{\mathbb{Q}}$. It is an algebraic extension of $\mathbb{Q}$ by definition, but it contains primitive $p$th roots of unity of degree $p-1$ for arbitrarily large primes $p$, by the permitted irreducibility of the cyclotomic polynomial. The tower law would make every such degree at most $[\overline{\mathbb{Q}}:\mathbb{Q}]$ if the latter were finite, a contradiction.

If $L/K$ and $K/F$ are algebraic field extensions, then $L/F$ is algebraic. In particular, an element algebraic over an algebraic extension of $F$ is algebraic over $F$.

This is a closure property of algebraic extensions, not an alternative name for an extension.