Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 iii Paper 28 3 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
For a finite extension of number fields, the inverse different is the fractional idealThe different ideal is its inverse. The trace pairing is nondegenerate because extensions of number fields are separable, so this definition gives a full fractional ideal. The inclusion shows that is integral.
Write its prime ideal factorization as . For above , with ramification index and residue characteristic , the different exponent and tame ramification theorem saysThe equivalence uses the separability of finite residue-field extensions. In particular, precisely at unramified prime ideals; in the wild case . This theorem does not require a Galois extension. The relative discriminant is the norm of the different ideal:For , this gives .
Now take and . For any prime number , the square-free integer hypothesis makes an Eisenstein polynomial at . It is therefore irreducible, and is a pure cubic number field of degree . Since is an algebraic integer, is an order in a number field. The discriminant of elements of a number field for its basis isFor example, the resultant of and is , and the degree-three sign in the polynomial discriminant is negative. If , the discriminant-index formula for an integral lattice givesOnly prime numbers dividing can therefore divide .
For , the Eisenstein polynomial gives a totally ramified extension of of degree . Thus has a unique prime ideal above , with ramification index and residue-field degree . Since , this is tame ramification, and the different exponent and tame ramification theorem gives . Hence . Comparing with in the discriminant-index formula for an integral lattice yields .
At , use the shifted Eisenstein polynomial of :Because , the constant term is divisible by . Moreover,when : the factors and cannot both be divisible by . The hypotheses therefore give , so the translated polynomial is an Eisenstein polynomial at . The resulting completion is a totally ramified extension of degree , with residue-field degree , and its ramification index is divisible by the residue characteristic. Thus its different exponent is at least .
It follows that . But , soforces and . No prime number divides . We have proved the integral basis of a nonexceptional pure cubic field:Using local Eisenstein polynomials here only establishes the local ramification indices; it does not assume that is already the full ring of integers of a number field.
Pure cubic number field 2026-10-06
A pure cubic number field is a degree-three number field generated by a root of for a rational number that is not a rational cube. For a positive square-free integer , this polynomial is an Eisenstein polynomial at any prime dividing . The ring of integers of a number field depends on congruences at , as expressed by the integral basis of a nonexceptional pure cubic field.