Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2013 iii Paper 21 2 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-07
Normalize the discrete valuations so a uniformiser has value one, and write for the residue fields. The ramification index is specified by , and the residue degree is . For finite extensions of complete discretely valued fields, . One way to see the degree equality is that is a finite free -module of rank ; reduction modulo a uniformiser of has successive quotients isomorphic to , hence dimension over .
An unramified extension has and separable residue extension, equivalently with separable residue extension. A totally ramified extension has , equivalently . The separability condition in the unramified extension definition matters if the residue field is imperfect; it is automatic for finite residue fields.
Suppose is unramified. Choose a primitive element of a field extension for the finite separable extension and lift it to . Since the residue degree of is at least , necessarily . Its monic minimal polynomial of an algebraic element has coefficients in . Its reduction has degree and annihilates , whose minimal polynomial over has that same degree. The two coincide, so is separable.
Conversely, suppose , , and is separable. It must be irreducible: otherwise its coprime factors lift by the factorization form of Hensel's lemma, contradicting irreducibility of . Hence has degree over . The degree equality forces and , and the residue extension is separable. We have proved the unramified generator criterion with separable reduction:
Now let , . Every element of is a simple root of , whose derivative is a unit at each root. Hensel's lemma lifts each of these elements uniquely to a root in . Thus contains all roots of ; these are the nonzero Teichmuller lifts.
More generally, a root of unity of order prime to reduces injectively into . Indeed, if such a root reduces to , uniqueness in Hensel's lemma for makes it equal to . Consequently every prime-to- order divides .
A root whose order has a nontrivial -part produces a primitive th root of unity . It reduces to in characteristic . Sinceall the factors have the same positive integral valuation. HenceThis is the ramification bound for a primitive pth root of unity. ThereforeFor the hypothesis cannot occur, so that instance is vacuous rather than a claim excluding the ever-present root .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2020 ii Paper 3 18G b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-29
The eleventh cyclotomic field hasThe cyclic group has exactly one subgroup of each order . The Galois correspondence therefore gives exactly four subfields:The Quadratic Gaussian period in the eleventh cyclotomic field satisfies , while generates the maximal real subfield of the eleventh cyclotomic field. Every subgroup of the abelian Galois group is normal, so all four subfields are Galois over .
Each nontrivial proper subfield has prime degree, two or five. If , then , and the tower law forces . Thus every such element is a primitive element. The displayed and are the requested examples. Finally, itself is a primitive element for .
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 2024 iii Paper 136 5 a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
The Ostrowski theorem says that every nontrivial absolute value on a field defined on is equivalent either to the usual absolute value or to for a unique prime .
Let an absolute value on the number field extend . Its valuation ring determinesa prime ideal satisfying . Conversely, each prime above defines the normalized absolute valuewhere . It restricts to . The correspondence between extensions and primes follows either from the valuation ring or from local factorization and extended absolute values; distinct primes give inequivalent valuations. Thus these are exactly the extensions, up to equivalence.
For the tensor-product assertion, choose a primitive element of a field extension for , with minimal polynomial . Because number fields are separable, over it factors into distinct irreduciblesindexed by the primes . The Chinese remainder theorem givesThe th factor is the completion of a number field at a prime ideal . Under these identifications the isomorphism is the natural diagonal map , proving the p-adic tensor decomposition of a number field
Primitive element of a field extension Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Let and for algebraically independent . The monomials with form a basis, whereas every satisfies . Thus but , so no primitive element of a field extension exists.