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Over ${\mathbb{F}}_q$, the roots of the minimal polynomial of $\alpha \in {\mathbb{F}}_{q^n}$ are its distinct iterates $\alpha ,{\alpha }^q,{\alpha }^{q^2},\dots$ under the finite-field Frobenius automorphism.

Write $|F|=p^n$, where $n=[F:{\mathbb{F}}_p]$ since $F$ is a finite-dimensional vector space over its prime field. Every nonzero element satisfies $x^{p^n-1}=1$ by Lagrange theorem, so $F$ is exactly the splitting field of $X^{p^n}-X$ over ${\mathbb{F}}_p$. The derivative is $-1$, making it a separable polynomial. Thus the extension is a normal field extension and a separable field extension, hence a Galois extension.

The finite-field Frobenius automorphism $\sigma (x)=x^p$ fixes ${\mathbb{F}}_p$ and has ${\sigma }^n=1$. If ${\sigma }^d=1$ with $0<d<n$, all $p^n$ elements would be roots of the degree-$p^d$ polynomial $X^{p^d}-X$, impossible. It has order $n$, equal to the degree of the Galois extension. Therefore

Over ${\mathbb{F}}_7$, the polynomial $t^4-1$ factors as $(t-1)(t+1)(t^2+1)$. Since $-1$ is not a square modulo $7$, the last factor is an irreducible polynomial. The splitting field is ${\mathbb{F}}_{49}$, so $\boxed{\mathrm{Gal}(t^4-1/{\mathbb{F}}_7)\cong C_2}$. The finite-field Frobenius automorphism fixes $1,-1$ and swaps the other two roots.

Over ${\mathbb{F}}_3$,Both quadratics have discriminant $2$, a nonsquare in ${\mathbb{F}}_3$, so are irreducible polynomials. Both split in the same quadratic finite field ${\mathbb{F}}_9$. Consequently $\boxed{\mathrm{Gal}(t^4+1/{\mathbb{F}}_3)\cong C_2}$. Its generator is the finite-field Frobenius automorphism $x\mapsto x^3$, acting as a product of two transpositions on the four roots.

The splitting field of $f\in K[t]$ is the smallest extension $L/K$ in which $f$ is a product of linear factors; equivalently, $L$ is generated over $K$ by all its roots of a polynomial. To prove existence and uniqueness of splitting fields, adjoin a root of an irreducible polynomial dividing $f$ and repeat until $f$ splits. If $L$ and $L^{\prime }$ are two resulting fields, an embedding between the fields generated so far extends by sending each newly adjoined root to a root of its transformed minimal polynomial. Repetition gives a $K$-embedding $L\to L^{\prime }$, whose image contains every root of $f$ and is therefore all of $L^{\prime }$. Thus the splitting field exists and is unique up to $K$-isomorphism.

Now write $K={\mathbb{F}}_q$, and let the distinct irreducible factors of $f$ have degrees $d_1,\dots ,d_r$. The irreducible factors of a finite-field Frobenius polynomial show that a root of the degree-$d_i$ factor lies in ${\mathbb{F}}_{q^n}$ exactly when $d_i\mid n$. Hence the splitting field over a finite field isEvery finite field is a perfect field, so $L/K$ is separable; it is normal because it is a splitting field. It is consequently a Galois extension. More explicitly, the Galois group of a finite field extension is the cyclic group of order $m$ generated by the finite-field Frobenius automorphism $x\mapsto x^q$.

Finally, let $N_2(n)$ denote the number of monic irreducible polynomials over a finite field of degree $n$ over ${\mathbb{F}}_2$. Sinceand $\mu (1)=1$, $\mu (3)=-1$, $\mu (9)=0$, we obtain