Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2022 / ii / Paper 2 / 18H (Galois Theory)

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.

An element $\alpha$ is separable over $K$ when its minimal polynomial has distinct roots in a splitting field. A polynomial has a repeated root exactly when it has a common root with its formal derivative. Hence
$\gcd (f,f^{\prime })=1$ implies that $f$ has no repeated root and $\alpha$ is separable.

Let $f$ be the minimal polynomial of $\beta$. Repeatedly factor through the Frobenius untilwhere $g^{\prime }\ne 0$. Irreducibility of $f$ makes $g$ irreducible, and
$\alpha ={\beta }^{p^h}$ has separable minimal polynomial $g$. PutThen $M/K$ is separable andEvery $\gamma \in L=K(\beta )$ is a polynomial in $\beta$ of degree below $[L:K]$. The freshman's-dream identity givesso $L/M$ is purely inseparable.

Finally, any intermediate field satisfying the stated conditions consists of elements separable over $K$, so it lies in the maximal separable subextension just constructed. Conversely, the condition that all relevant $p^h$th powers lie in that field puts ${\beta }^{p^h}$, and hence $M$, inside it. The two inclusions prove uniqueness.