Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 ii Paper 2 17F i Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
The Fundamental theorem of Galois theory gives an inclusion-reversing bijection between subgroups and intermediate fields , by and , for a finite Galois extension. One has and . The field is Galois over exactly when is normal; then its Galois group is the quotient by .
Let and . The splitting field is . A splitting field in characteristic zero is normal and separable, hence Galois. Eisenstein criterion at gives . This field is real, whereas is not, and satisfies a quadratic polynomial. Thus . The faithful permutation action on the three roots identifies the Galois group with . The subgroup fixing is generated by the transposition interchanging the other two roots. Its conjugates are different transposition subgroups, so it is not normal.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 ii Paper 3 16F ii Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
Label the distinct roots . Define by . Composition respects this rule, so it is a group homomorphism. If its image permutation is the identity, fixes all the roots; they generate , so is the identity. Thus is injective.
For , label the roots . The splitting field is and its nontrivial automorphism swaps precisely roots . Hence .
For , Eisenstein criterion gives irreducibility. The real root generates a degree-three real field. Adjoining a primitive cube root of unity gives a further extension of degree two, since it is nonreal and satisfies . Thus its splitting field has degree . In characteristic zero this is a Galois extension, so its Galois group has order . The injection into is therefore an isomorphism.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 ib Paper 3 11E b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
The polynomial satisfies the Eisenstein criterion at the prime two: every nonleading coefficient is divisible by two, and the constant coefficient is not divisible by four. Thus it is irreducible over and is the minimal polynomial of every one of its roots. Part (a) givesButIn the quotient, the two nonzero classes of and multiply to zero. They are nonzero because their nonzero representative degrees are less than five. The quotient is not an integral domain, so is not a prime ideal.
For ring homomorphisms preserving the identity, an image of in the Gaussian integers would satisfy . The minimal polynomial of over would then be , of degree five. This is impossible because has degree at most two. Thus there is no unital homomorphism . If homomorphisms are instead allowed not to preserve the identity, the zero map exists; every nonzero homomorphism into this integral domain is unital, because the image of one is a nonzero idempotent and hence one.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 ib Paper 4 2E Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
Eisenstein's criterion. Let be a nonconstant primitive polynomial. If a prime number satisfies , for , and , then is an irreducible polynomial over .
To prove the Eisenstein criterion, suppose a nontrivial factorization exists over . Gauss lemma for polynomials gives with of positive degree. Their leading coefficients are not divisible by , because their product is . Reduction modulo therefore preserves both degrees, andSince the only irreducible factor of the right side is , both reduced factors are nonzero monomials of positive degree. Their constant coefficients are consequently divisible by . This would make , a contradiction.
For the requested polynomial, shift the variable by one. The binomial theorem givesIt is monic, all coefficients below the leading one are divisible by , and the constant coefficient is , not divisible by . The Eisenstein criterion proves irreducibility of this shifted polynomial. The substitution is an automorphism of , with inverse , so it preserves nontrivial factorizations. HenceThis is the cyclotomic polynomial for a prime index.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ib Paper 2 2E a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
A unique factorization domain is an integral domain in which every nonzero nonunit is a finite product of irreducible elements, uniquely up to reordering and multiplication of factors by a unit in a ring. A principal ideal domain is an integral domain in which every ideal is generated by one element.
Gauss lemma for polynomials says that over a unique factorization domain , the product of two primitive polynomials is primitive, and the polynomial content satisfies up to a unit. In particular a primitive polynomial of positive degree is irreducible over exactly when it is irreducible over the fraction field of . Consequently a polynomial ring over a unique factorization domain is itself a unique factorization domain.
The Eisenstein criterion says that if has and there is a prime element with , for every , and , then is irreducible over the fraction field. If is primitive, it is also irreducible in . Over one may take to be an ordinary prime number. The primitivity qualification prevents a nonunit constant content from being overlooked.
The defining distinction is unique irreducible factorization versus generation of every ideal by one element.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 1 17I b i Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
The quartic is irreducible by Eisenstein criterion at two, so its Galois group is transitive on its four roots. Its discriminant is , so five and seven are unramified primes for the polynomial. The squarefree factorizations areThe cubic modulo five has no root in , hence is irreducible. The quadratic modulo seven has discriminant five, a nonsquare there. The Frobenius cycle type theorem therefore supplies a three-cycle and a transposition in the group.
Transitivity implies that its order is divisible by four, and the three-cycle implies divisibility by three. Its order divides , so it is or . The only subgroup of index two in is : an index-two subgroup is the kernel of a group homomorphism of a nontrivial homomorphism to , and all transpositions are conjugate and generate , forcing this homomorphism to be the sign. The exhibited transposition excludes . Hence
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 ib Paper 3 11G b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
Eisenstein criterion states that ifhas a prime number such that , for every , and , then is irreducible over .
After dividing out the polynomial content, suppose for contradiction that the resulting primitive polynomial factors as with positive-degree , using Gauss lemma for polynomials. Reduction modulo gives , so in the polynomial ring both and are monomials. Because both factors have positive degree, their constant coefficients are divisible by . Their product is then divisible by , a contradiction.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 ib Paper 3 11G c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
Translate the variable by one:This satisfies Eisenstein criterion with : every nonleading coefficient is divisible by , while . Translation is an automorphism of a polynomial ring, so it preserves irreducibility. Hence is irreducible over .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 ii Paper 1 18I Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
Let be the Galois group of a polynomial of the irreducible quartic. Irreducibility makes a transitive subgroup of . The three roots of the given cubic resolvent of a quartic correspond to the three partitions of the four quartic roots into two unordered pairs, and the kernel of the -action on these partitions is the Klein four-group . If the resolvent has Galois group , the image of in this action is all of . Among the transitive subgroups of the symmetric group on four points, only has this image. Hence
Now put . The Eisenstein criterion at proves that is an irreducible polynomial, and its cubic resolvent isIts discriminant of a depressed cubic isFor odd , the -adic valuation of is three because ; for , . Thus is never a square in .
By the rational root theorem, a reducible has an integer root among . Reduction modulo shows that the root is divisible by ; writing it as , with , givesThe only possibilities are and , corresponding to roots and . For every other prime, is irreducible with nonsquare discriminant, so its Galois group is and the criterion above gives the quartic group . For or , the reducible resolvent makes the quartic group a proper subgroup. Therefore
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 ii Paper 4 20G c Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
Now let be prime and put and . The Eisenstein criterion applied at gives , while the discriminant of elements of a number field of its power basis iswhere . By the discriminant-index formula for an integral lattice, every prime dividing must therefore be .
Suppose . The finite abelian group is then a nontrivial finite p-group, so it contains an element of order . Consequently there is an such thatwith some not divisible by .
The polynomial is Eisenstein, so total ramification from an Eisenstein polynomial gives a unique prime ideal above with normalized discrete valuationLet be the least index for which . The term has valuation ; every earlier term has valuation at least , and every later term with coefficient prime to has a distinct, larger valuation. The non-Archimedean valuation therefore givesThis contradicts , since an algebraic integer has nonnegative valuation at every prime ideal. Thus , and
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 iii Paper 123 1 iv Solution 2026-10-03
LetOver , the Newton polygon has three length-one segments of slopes . The resulting roots can also be obtained directly from Hensel lemma. There is one unit root because is even and is odd. For the two remaining roots, putwhose parenthesized polynomial has a simple root , andwhose parenthesized polynomial has a simple root . Thus splits completely over , with roots of valuations . There are three primes above , and for each one
Over , is an Eisenstein polynomial. Hence there is one prime above , and if is the chosen root thenwith and .
The polynomial is irreducible over by the Eisenstein criterion at . Its polynomial discriminant iswhich is not a square number, so the Galois group of an irreducible cubic isAt , all three roots already lie in , so the local splitting field is trivial andAt , the cubic is totally and tamely ramified. The square class of its discriminant is represented by , a nonsquare unit, so the quadratic resolvent field of a cubic is the unramified quadratic extension of . The local splitting field therefore has degree six, withThese calculations are summarized by local factorization of X3 plus 25X2 minus 50X plus 40.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 ii Paper 2 18F Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
Let be a primitive fifth root of unity. Over , the Frobenius automorphism acts by , so the splitting field of has degree equal to the multiplicative order of modulo . Its Galois group is generated by Frobenius and is cyclic. The possible orders are therefore for , for , and for .
Put . The polynomial satisfies the Eisenstein criterion at , so . Also . The intersection of these two fields has degree dividing both and , hence is . Since the splitting field is ,
Label the five roots by , . The Galois group acts through the affine group over a finite field:Its possible nontrivial cycle types are , , and ; in particular, no element has a three-cycle. By the Dedekind factorization cycle test, the reduction of modulo any prime therefore has no irreducible cubic factor.
The multiplier of the Frobenius element is . If or , then has order four; every affine map with this multiplier has one fixed point and one four-cycle. Hence is a product of a linear factor and an irreducible quartic. If , Frobenius is a translation : it is the identity when , giving complete splitting, and is a five-cycle when , giving an irreducible polynomial.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2020 ib Paper 2 9G Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-29
Gauss lemma for polynomials states that the product of two primitive polynomials over a unique factorization domain is primitive. In particular, a primitive polynomial in is reducible over exactly when it is reducible over .
Eisenstein criterion says that a primitive polynomialis irreducible over if there is a prime such that , for every , and . To prove it, suppose with both factors of positive degree. After removing contents, Gauss's lemma lets us take primitive. Reduction modulo givesso both reduced factors are monomials of positive degree. Their constant terms are therefore divisible by , making divide , a contradiction.
An algebraic integer is a complex number satisfying a monic polynomial in . Let be one and let be its monic minimal polynomial. The usual proof using polynomial content shows that . The setis the kernel of the polynomial-evaluation ring homomorphism, hence an ideal. Every is divisible by in . Because is monic, polynomial division of by takes place in , and the remainder must vanish by minimality. Thereforewhere is monic and irreducible.
Fortranslation givesThis is Eisenstein at , so and therefore are irreducible over . HenceIrreducibility and Gauss's lemma also show that is a prime ideal of , soIt is not a field. The class of is nonzero but not a unit: reducing further modulo gives a nonzero quotientin which the image of is zero, whereas a unit must remain a unit under every unital quotient map. Thus
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2020 ii Paper 1 18G b iv Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-29
For any prime , takeThe Eisenstein criterion, applied at the prime element of , shows that is irreducible over and therefore has degree . If is a root in any extension field, the Frobenius endomorphism givesIt follows that this purely inseparable polynomial over a rational function field has at most one distinct root in every extension, and that root has multiplicity , as required.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2020 ii Paper 2 20G b i Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-29
The polynomial of satisfies the Eisenstein criterion at . Let be any prime ideal of above , normalize its ideal valuation by , and write for its ramification index of a prime ideal. Put . Inthe constant term has valuation , while every other has valuation at least . The non-Archimedean valuation property then forcesIndeed, either strict inequality would leave a unique term of least valuation in the equation. Since is a positive integer and , it follows that and .
The fundamental inequality now shows that is the unique prime above and has residue degree one. At this prime,while has no factor away from . Unique prime ideal factorization therefore givesFinally , soThis is total ramification from an Eisenstein polynomial.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ib Paper 4 9E Solution Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-10-03
Letbe a primitive polynomial. The Eisenstein criterion states that if a prime number satisfiesthen is an irreducible polynomial in , equivalently in by Gauss lemma for polynomials.
To prove it, suppose that with of positive degree. Primitivity and Gauss's lemma let us take such an integral factorisation if a factorisation over exists. Reducing modulo givesBecause does not divide the leading coefficient of , neither factor loses degree on reduction. The polynomial ring is a unique factorization domain, so both reductions are monomials of positive degree. In particular, divides both constant terms and . It follows that dividesa contradiction. This proves the criterion.
For a prime , translate the geometric sum by one:Its leading coefficient is one, every other coefficient is divisible by , and its constant coefficient is , which is not divisible by . It is therefore Eisenstein at . Translation is an automorphism of , soThis is the geometric-sum irreducibility criterion.
The evaluation homomorphismhas image and contains in its kernel. Since is monic, division by in writes every as with . If , then ; the irreducibility of says that is the minimal polynomial of , so . Thus , and the first isomorphism theorem for rings gives
Now take . Then , and the Eisenstein integers areComplex conjugation sends to , so the field norm isGiven , choose integers with . For ,For with , apply this to and put . ThenHence the norm is a Euclidean function, proving that is a Euclidean domain. This is the Euclidean norm on the Eisenstein integers.
Finally suppose satisfies . Make the free abelian group into a -module by definingThis is well-defined precisely because obeys the same polynomial relation as . The module is finitely generated. It is also torsion-free module: if and , multiplication by the conjugate of gives , and the additive group has no nonzero integer torsion.
A Euclidean domain is a principal ideal domain, and the structure theorem for finitely generated modules over a principal ideal domain says that a finitely generated torsion-free module over one is free. Thusfor some . Since has free module basis over , comparison of abelian ranks gives . There can consequently be no such matrix when is odd.
If , choose a -basis . Thenis a -basis, and . In this basis the matrix of is a direct sum of copies ofEvery admissible matrix is therefore conjugate in to . Hence there is exactly one conjugacy class for even , and none for odd . This is the classification of integral matrices satisfying the third cyclotomic polynomial.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ib Paper 2 1E i Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Conversely, let be prime. Translation by one is an automorphism of , andIts leading coefficient is one, every lower coefficient is divisible by , and its constant coefficient is , which is not divisible by . The Eisenstein criterion proves that is irreducible, hence so is . Therefore the geometric-sum irreducibility criterion is
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ib Paper 2 1E Solution Created 2026-09-23 Updated 2026-09-25
The Eisenstein criterion says that a primitive polynomialis irreducible if there is a prime such thatBy the Gauss lemma for polynomials, irreducibility over and over agree for primitive polynomials.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2025 iii Paper 136 1 a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Suppose first that is a totally ramified extension of degree , and let be a uniformizer of . If the valuation on is normalized by , then . The value group of already contains both and , so its ramification index over is at least . Hence , and therefore .
Letbe the minimal polynomial of . Every conjugate of has positive valuation, so each lies in the maximal ideal of . Moreoverwhich means . Thus is an Eisenstein polynomial.
Conversely, if is a root of an Eisenstein polynomial of degree , the Eisenstein criterion makes that polynomial irreducible and its Newton polygon gives when is normalized. Consequently ; equality with the field degree forces and residue-field degree one. Thus is totally ramified.