Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 iii Paper 21 1 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-07
An additive valuation on a field is a map , where is a totally ordered abelian group, with and whenever . Set . We consider nontrivial valuations; if the trivial valuation is allowed, it must be listed separately from the asserted classification. Two valuations are equivalent when their valuation rings agree, or equivalently their ordered value-group images identify in a way compatible with the maps. Real-valued equivalent nontrivial valuations differ by positive scaling.
For a valuation on , every integer has nonnegative value, because it is a sum of copies of or its negative. If all prime numbers had value zero, unique factorization would make the valuation trivial. Thus some prime has . There cannot be two such primes: for distinct , Bézout's identity gives with integers , and the valuation inequality would give . All other prime values therefore vanish. Factoring the numerator and denominator of a rational number givesThe image is the cyclic ordered group generated by , proving equivalence to the P-adic valuation. This is the classification of nontrivial valuations on the rational numbers; an Archimedean absolute value is not an additive valuation satisfying this ultrametric inequality.
The simple-root form of Hensel's lemma says that for a complete discrete valuation ring with maximal ideal , a polynomial and with and have a unique root in .
For over , all roots are integral: a negative valuation would make the leading term the unique term of lowest valuation. Modulo , the roots are , and is nonzero at each. Hensel's lemma gives three distinct lifts, and a cubic has no further roots. The number is .
For over , a root is again integral and reduces to zero modulo . Write it as with . The equation becomes , impossible modulo . The number is .
For over , a putative root of valuation gives term valuations . The first is uniquely minimal, a contradiction. Thus all roots are integral. Reduction modulo is , whose root zero is simple since the derivative is a unit everywhere. Hensel's lemma gives exactly one lift. The number is .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 iii Paper 136 1 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
A suitable version of the Hensel lemma is this: if is a complete discrete valuation ring, , and is a root of with , there is a unique reducing to with . Starting with any lift, Newton iteration over a valued field keeps the derivative a unit and doubles the error valuation, giving convergence. Uniqueness follows by factoring when two roots have the same residue.
The field in the rest of this question is not assumed complete, so that version cannot simply be applied to it. Instead use the stated uniqueness of the extension of an absolute value. Let be any two roots of a polynomial , which is irreducible. The field embedding sending to identifies with . Pulling the latter field's absolute value back gives an extension on , which must coincide with the given one. More generally, for every ,This proves equal absolute values of algebraic conjugates without assuming separability or a transitive action of a Galois group; repeated roots cause no difficulty.
Every root of the monic has absolute value at most one. Indeed, if , then each lower term satisfies . The ultrametric inequality makes the leading term dominate their sum, contradicting . Thus
All roots lie in the valuation ring , so their residues are defined in the residue field . Let be the monic minimal polynomial of an algebraic element of ; this residue is algebraic because it satisfies the monic . Choose a coefficientwise lift . Then , and the conjugacy argument gives for every . Hence every is a root of .
Reduction of the splitting-field factorization, with multiplicities, givesEvery monic irreducible factor of over has a root among these residues. That root also satisfies , so its minimal polynomial is . Unique factorization therefore proves the pure-power reduction of a monic irreducible polynomial:This does not assert that is separable or that the reduction is square-free.
Finally, factor the monic over as with distinct monic irreducible polynomials . The same leading-term argument bounds every root of by one. Coefficients of any are elementary symmetric polynomials in some of these roots, so they lie in . By the preceding result each is a power of a single monic irreducible residue polynomial .
Since the prescribed are coprime, every occurs on exactly one side. Assign the entire factor to that side and form the two products. Comparing irreducible-factor multiplicities in the reduction proves the coprime factor lifting from valuation-extension uniqueness:Empty products are one, covering constant prescribed factors. The construction proves the required factor-lifting form of the Hensel lemma directly from extension uniqueness, without adding completeness as an unstated hypothesis.