Galois descent of vector spaces 2026-10-07
For a Finite Galois extension and a finite-dimensional -space with a semilinear action of its Galois group, the map is an isomorphism. The vectors are invariant and span by the Artin independence theorem. Choosing an invariant -basis then identifies the invariant space with its -span. The proof does not divide by the extension degree.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2021 iii Paper 123 4 i Solution 2026-09-28
Suppose that were a Finite Galois extension with Galois group and unramified away from . Its quadratic subfield is the fixed field of the alternating subgroup . A quadratic field ramified only at must be : the classification by fundamental discriminants shows that is the only nontrivial quadratic discriminant supported at . In particular, ramifies in this quadratic subfield.
Because does not divide , all ramification at is tame ramification. Its inertia group is therefore cyclic. Its image in is nontrivial because the quadratic subfield is ramified, so the inertia group is generated by a transposition and has order two; it cannot have order six because it is cyclic.
The discriminant exponent of a tame Galois extension is thereforeThere is no other finite ramification, so .
On the other hand, the Minkowski bound for ideal classes implies the Minkowski lower bound for a number-field discriminantSince , the right side is smallest at and is greater than . This contradicts , so no such extension exists.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2021 ii Paper 1 18I b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
The seventh cyclotomic polynomial isIt is irreducible over , and all its roots , , lie in . Hence is a degree-six Finite Galois extension, withThe group is cyclic of order six; for example,
By the Galois correspondence, the subfields are the fixed fields of the four subgroups of :Thus these are all the subfields.
For the Quadratic Gaussian period in the seventh cyclotomic field, putThe cyclotomic relation gives , while direct multiplication gives . HenceIts discriminant is , so
For the real cubic subfield of the seventh cyclotomic field, divideby . With ,soThis cubic has no rational root, and therefore
The requested primitive elements, minimal polynomials, and automorphism groups are consequentlyMore explicitly, the nontrivial automorphism of sendsand the three automorphisms of cyclically permute
Finally, is abelian, so every subgroup is normal. The subextensions of an abelian Galois extension theorem shows that
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2022 iii Paper 125 4 b Solution 2026-09-28
Assume and put . All roots of are with , so is its splitting field and is a Finite Galois extension. The mapis an injective group homomorphism.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 iii Paper 151 3 Solution 2026-09-28
The Artin–Wedderburn theorem says that every central simple algebra over has the form for a finite-dimensional central division algebra , uniquely up to the evident data. If and are central simple, extend scalars to an algebraic closure . Both become full matrix algebras, hencefor suitable . Any nonzero proper ideal of would extend to one in this simple matrix algebra, and faithful flatness prevents it from vanishing or becoming the whole algebra. The same scalar-extension argument shows that the center is . This proves the tensor product of central simple algebras theorem.
The Brauer group consists of Morita equivalence classes of central simple -algebras. Its product is , its identity is , and because is a full matrix algebra.
Let be a Finite Galois extension with Galois group , and let be a normalized two-cocycle. The crossed-product algebra of a Galois extension has underlying left -vector spaceand multiplicationThe cocycle identity is exactly associativity. After scalar extension to , the algebra acts by the twisted regular representation and becomes ; Galois descent shows that it is central simple over . If is multiplied by the coboundary of a one-cochain , rescaling by gives an isomorphic algebra. Hence the cohomological construction of a Brauer class gives a well-defined map
It remains to show that every Brauer class is torsion. For a finite group , restriction and corestriction on normalized bar cochains satisfyon cohomology: the first equality follows by summing the translated cochain over coset representatives, and each is the identity because an inner automorphism is cochain-homotopic to the identity. Restriction to the trivial subgroup is zero in positive degree, so this proves that finite-group cohomology is annihilated by the group order. In multiplicative notation, every therefore satisfies .
By the permitted assumption, is the image of such an for some . Consequently in . By the definition of Brauer equivalence, this says that for some ,as required.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 2 18I d Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Assume now that is irreducible and separable. Its splitting field is Galois, and its Galois group acts transitively on the roots by the Galois group of a polynomial. Part (c) extends every such automorphism uniquely to . If , the extension sends to the unique th root above the image of . The transitivity lifted through unique pth roots therefore shows thatacts transitively on the roots of .
Every automorphism of preserves , because is the splitting field of over . Transitivity therefore implies that either all roots lie in or none does. Since , the minimal polynomial of a purely inseparable element has degree either one or . Consequently,
Let be a monic irreducible factor of . If is inseparable, part (a) givesfor a nonconstant monic . Since divides , polynomial division in and substitution show that divides . Irreducibility of forces , hence . Thereforewhich is the irreducible factors after Frobenius substitution dichotomy.
Conversely, suppose is reducible and factor it into distinct monic irreducibles:Every is then a proper factor, hence separable by the preceding dichotomy. Since , unique factorization and force for every . Thus for some monic . The Frobenius endomorphism raises coefficients to their th powers, and the coefficient of in is the coefficient of in . Hence every coefficient of is a th power in . We have proved the reducibility criterion after Frobenius substitution:
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 136 2 b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Let and normalize . In lower numbering,These are the ramification groups; is the inertia group and is the wild inertia group.
Because , every is for some . The polynomial identity has integral coefficients. Consequently the inequality for implies it for every , and the converse follows by taking . Therefore
Since is a Finite Galois extension, the minimal polynomial factors asDifferentiating and evaluating at givesand henceFor a fixed nonidentity , its valuation is exactly the number of integers for which . Interchanging the two finite sums proves the ramification-group sum for a monogenic integer ring:
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2025 iii Paper 136 1 b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
Let and normalize . The lower ramification groups arewith . If , the same inequality defines inside , so directly
Now suppose is Finite Galois extension. The inertia group is the kernel of the action on the residue field. Restriction sends into . Conversely, the maximal unramified subextension of is the intersection of with the maximal unramified subextension of . The Galois correspondence therefore shows that the restriction image is all of .
For the explicit extension, take and a primitive cube root of unity . The polynomial is Eisenstein over , while is a ramified quadratic extension. Its splitting fieldis therefore a totally ramified extension of degree six with Galois group . With , one has and , sois a uniformizer. Let , , and let , . ThenThe two nonidentity elements of have ramification number four, whereas each transposition has ramification number one. HenceIn particular, is the wild inertia group.