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For a number field $K$ and a modulus of a number field $\mathfrak{m}$, let $I_K(\mathfrak{m})$ be the group of fractional ideals prime to its finite part. Let $P_K(\mathfrak{m})$ consist of principal ideals generated by elements congruent to one modulo its finite part and positive at each real place in its infinite part. The ray class group is ${\mathrm{Cl}}_{\mathfrak{m}}(K)=I_K(\mathfrak{m})/P_K(\mathfrak{m})$.

The classification theorem of class field theory asserts the existence of a ray class field $K_{\mathfrak{m}}$ and an Artin map isomorphismIts intermediate fields correspond contravariantly to subgroups of this ray class group. Equivalently, for each congruence subgroup of fractional ideals $P_K(\mathfrak{m})\subseteq H\subseteq I_K(\mathfrak{m})$ there is a unique finite abelian extension with Artin group kernel $H$ and group $I_K(\mathfrak{m})/H$. Every finite abelian extension occurs for some modulus. For a fixed modulus, these are exactly the extensions whose conductor divides that modulus; the same field may be presented using larger moduli, with the appropriate pulled-back group kernel.

We quote the conductor facts needed to specialize this classification. The finite conductor exponent is zero exactly at the unramified primes. A real place occurs in the conductor exactly when it becomes complex. Thus conductor one means unramified at every finite prime and split at every real place. With $\mathfrak{m}=1$ the ray class group is the ordinary ideal class group, so classification gives an extension $H_K/K$ withIt is unramified at all finite primes, and its real places split. Conversely, every finite abelian extension with those properties has conductor one and lies in $K_1=H_K$. This proves the existence and maximality of the ordinary Hilbert class field. Its degree is finite by finiteness of the ideal class group. The real-place convention matters: allowing real places to become complex gives the narrow class field instead; for the imaginary quadratic field in part (ii) this distinction disappears.

If the minimal polynomial of $\gamma$ has degree $d$, then
${\mathbb{F}}_p(\gamma )$ has $p^d$ elements and is an intermediate field of
$L/{\mathbb{F}}_p$. The tower law for field extensions givesso $d\mid n$.

The multiplicative group of a finite field is cyclic. Choose a generator
$\gamma$ of $L^{\times }$, of order $p^n-1$. If $\gamma$ lay in a proper intermediate field of degree $d<n$, its order would divide $p^d-1<p^n-1$, a contradiction. Thus
${\mathbb{F}}_p(\gamma )=L$ and its minimal polynomial has degree $n$.

For arbitrary $r\ge 1$, let $E$ be the splitting field of
$X^{p^r}-X$ over ${\mathbb{F}}_p$. Its roots form a field: the Frobenius endomorphism shows they are closed under addition, subtraction, multiplication, and inversion. The derivative is $-1$, so there are exactly $p^r$ distinct roots. Thus this root field has order $p^r$. Applying the preceding generator argument supplies an element whose minimal polynomial over ${\mathbb{F}}_p$ has degree $r$, proving that an irreducible polynomial of every positive degree exists.

Because $\mathrm{char}K=0$, the finite extension $M/K$ is separable. By the primitive element theorem, write $M=K(\theta )$. The minimal polynomial of $\theta$ over $K$ has a root in the algebraically closed field $L$, so sending $\theta$ to that root defines a $K$-field embedding $\iota :M\hookrightarrow L$.

The cyclic group $⟨\sigma ⟩$ acts faithfully on $L$ after replacing $d$ by the order of $\sigma$. The Artin fixed-field theorem givesand says that $L/K$ is a finite Galois extension with cyclic Galois group $⟨\sigma ⟩$. The image $E=\iota (M)$ is an intermediate field. Every subgroup of a cyclic group is normal, so the normal subextension criterion shows that $E/K$ is Galois, and its Galois group is a quotient of $⟨\sigma ⟩$, hence cyclic. Transporting this structure through $\iota$ proves that $M/K$ is Galois with cyclic Galois group. This is the finite extensions of the fixed field of a finite-order automorphism of an algebraically closed field theorem.

Algebraic closedness is necessary. Take $L=\mathbb{Q}$ and $\sigma =\mathrm{id}$, so $K=L^{\sigma }=\mathbb{Q}$, and let $M=\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt[3]{2})$. The extension has degree three but is not normal, since the two nonreal roots of $X^3-2$ do not belong to $M$. It is therefore not Galois.