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A Galois character is a continuous one-dimensional Galois representation: the absolute Galois group acts by multiplication by a scalar in a coefficient field $F$. A quadratic character over a coefficient field of characteristic different from two has values in $\{1,-1\}$; after identifying this group with $\mathbb{Z}/2\mathbb{Z}$, its kernel fixes a quadratic extension, or the base field for the trivial character. Its restriction to an inertia group is trivial exactly when that extension is unramified at the corresponding place.

For each finite place $v\in S$, choose $d_v\in K_v^{\times }$ such that $K_v(\sqrt{d_v})/K_v$ is the unramified quadratic extension. Such a choice exists even at residue characteristic two. At odd residue characteristic use a unit with nonsquare residue. At residue characteristic two, choose $\overline{c}$ for which $X^2-X-\overline{c}$ is irreducible over the finite residue field, lift $c$ to ${\mathcal{O}}_v$, and set $d_v=1+4c$. The lifted polynomial has unit derivative at every residue point and gives the unramified degree-two extension; its root is $(1+\sqrt{d_v})/2$.

The square classes are open in $K_v^{\times }$. Indeed the strong form of Hensel lemma applied to $X^2-u$ at $1$ shows that $u$ is a square whenever $v(u-1)>2v(2)$. Thus any sufficiently close approximation $a$ to $d_v$ has $a/d_v$ square. By weak approximation for number fields, choose $a\in K$ satisfying this at every finite $v\in S$. Then the local extensions $K_v(\sqrt{a})$ are all unramified of degree two. At least one such condition ensures $a$ is not a square in $K$. If $S$ contains no finite place, impose the same condition at one auxiliary finite place.

Set $L=K(\sqrt{a})$. At every specified finite prime there is one prime of $L$ above it, with ramification index one and residue degree two. Hence $\boxed{\mathfrak{p}{\mathcal{O}}_L\text{ is prime for every finite }\mathfrak{p}\in S}$. The dyadic case is covered by the unramified construction, rather than by a nonexistent nonsquare residue unit in characteristic two.

We count extensions up to $K$-isomorphism. An extension of degree $n$ has a maximal unramified extension $E/K$ inside it, with $[E:K]=f\mid n$, and $L/E$ is totally ramified of degree $e=n/f$. The unramified extension of each degree is unique, so there are only finitely many possibilities for $E$.

Fix $E$ and $e$. The coefficient space of monic degree-$e$ Eisenstein polynomials is compact: its nonconstant nonleading coefficients lie in the compact maximal ideal, and its constant coefficient lies in the compact set ${\mathfrak{m}}_E\setminus {\mathfrak{m}}_E^2$. Each such polynomial $F$ has a root $\alpha$ generating a degree-$e$ extension. For sufficiently close coefficients of a polynomial $G$, the numbers $G(\alpha )$ and $G^{\prime }(\alpha )-F^{\prime }(\alpha )$ are arbitrarily small, while $F^{\prime }(\alpha )\ne 0$ because the characteristic is zero. The strong form of Hensel lemma, applied in $E(\alpha )$, supplies a root $\beta$ of $G$ as close to $\alpha$ as desired. Choose the neighborhood so that the Krasner's lemma inequality holds. Then $E(\alpha )\subseteq E(\beta )$, and both degrees are $e$, so the extensions are equal. Compactness gives a finite cover by such neighborhoods, proving finiteness of degree-$n$ extensions. If extensions are realized as subfields of a fixed algebraic closure rather than counted up to isomorphism, each has only finitely many embeddings, so that count is finite too.

For odd $p$, write $K^{\times }={\pi }^{\mathbb{Z}}{\mathcal{O}}_K^{\times }$. The square map is bijective on $1+{\mathfrak{m}}_K$ by Hensel lemma, and the finite residue field has cyclic multiplicative group of even order. ThusThe quadratic extensions from square classes correspond to its three nontrivial classes. Representatives are $u,\pi ,u\pi$, where $u$ is a unit with nonsquare residue. There are $\boxed{3}$ quadratic extensions: $K(\sqrt{u})$ is unramified, while $K(\sqrt{\pi })$ and $K(\sqrt{u\pi })$ are totally ramified. For completeness, two nonsquare parameters give the same extension only if their ratio is a square: writing $\sqrt{b}=x+y\sqrt{a}$ and squaring forces $x=0$, hence $b/a=y^2$.

Herbrand quotient and local norm indices. Let $G=⟨\sigma ⟩$ have order $n$. For an additive $G$-module $M$, put $D=\sigma -1$ and $N=1+\sigma +\cdots +{\sigma }^{n-1}$. The relevant Tate cohomology of a cyclic group groups areIf both groups are finite, their size ratio is the Herbrand quotientMultiplicative modules use products for $N$ and $D(m)=\sigma (m)/m$. A finite module has quotient one: $\#\ker N=\#M/\#NM$, while $\#DM=\#M/\#M^G$, and the two cohomology orders are equal. The six-term periodic cohomology sequence shows $h(B)=h(A)h(C)$ for a short exact sequence $0\to A\to B\to C\to 0$ when these groups are finite. Thus the quotient is unchanged by finite-index changes of lattices. For the trivial $G$-module $\mathbb{Z}$, the zeroth group is $\mathbb{Z}/n\mathbb{Z}$ and the negative first group is zero, so $h_G(\mathbb{Z})=n$.

Now let $L/K$ be a cyclic extension of p-adic fields of degree $n$. For a sufficiently deep principal unit subgroup $U_L^r=1+{\mathfrak{m}}_L^r$, the p-adic logarithm is a $G$-equivariant isomorphism with the additive p-adic lattice ${\mathfrak{m}}_L^r$; it suffices to take $r>v_L(p)/(p-1)$. The normal basis theorem makes $L$ a regular $K[G]$-module. Consequently ${\mathfrak{m}}_L^r$, as a ${\mathbb{Z}}_p[G]$-lattice, is commensurable with a direct sum of $[K:{\mathbb{Q}}_p]$ copies of ${\mathbb{Z}}_p[G]$. These regular lattices have zero Tate groups: its invariants are the multiples of the sum of the basis elements, every such element is a norm, and vectors with coefficient sum zero are images of $D$. Commensurability and the finite-module calculation give $h_G(U_L^r)=1$. Since $U_L/U_L^r$ is finite, $h_G(U_L)=1$. These comparisons also establish finiteness of the Tate groups concerned.

The valuation exact sequence $1\to U_L\to L^{\times }\to \mathbb{Z}\to 0$ now gives $h_G(L^{\times })=n$. Hilbert theorem 90 makes ${\hat{H}}^{-1}(G,L^{\times })$ trivial. One can prove the cyclic statement directly: for $a$ of norm one set $A_0=1$, $A_i=a\sigma (a)\cdots {\sigma }^{i-1}(a)$ and choose $c$ for which $b={\sum }_i{A}_i{\sigma }^i(c)\ne 0$. Such a $c$ exists by linear independence of distinct field automorphisms. Then $\sigma (b)=b/a$, so $a=b/\sigma (b)$ is a coboundary. Therefore the local cyclic norm index isThis is the central use of the Herbrand quotient: it calculates a norm index without first constructing the local reciprocity map.

Let $e,f$ be the ramification index and residue degree. With normalized integer valuations, $v_K(Nx)=f{v}_L(x)$. A norm is a unit exactly when its preimage is a unit, and the norm valuations fill $f\mathbb{Z}$. Hence there is an exact sequenceThe unit norm index is $\boxed{[{\mathcal{O}}_K^{\times }:N{\mathcal{O}}_L^{\times }]=e}$. In an unramified extension all units are norms and the obstruction is the valuation modulo $n$; in a totally ramified cyclic extension the entire index comes from units. The norm subgroup is open: on deep principal units, logarithm carries the norm to the field trace, and the trace of a full p-adic lattice contains a sufficiently deep p-adic lattice in $K$.

Hilbert norm residue symbol and the local-to-global principle. More generally, for a local field $F$ containing ${\mu }_m$, fix the local reciprocity map ${\mathrm{rec}}_F$ with uniformizers acting as arithmetic Frobenius on unramified extensions. The Hilbert norm residue symbol isThis is independent of the chosen root, is bilinear, and has value one exactly when $b$ is a norm from $F(a^{1/m})$. These are standard consequences of Local Artin reciprocity. The case $m=2$, for which the values are signs, is the one directly governing quadratic forms. The quadratic Hilbert symbol at a place $v$ is defined for $a,b\in K_v^{\times }$ bywith value one for all $b$ when $a$ is a square. Equivalently it is one precisely when $z^2=a{x}^2+b{y}^2$ has a nonzero solution over $K_v$. For nonsquare $a$, a solution has $y\ne 0$ and gives $b=(z/y{)}^2-a(x/y{)}^2$; the converse follows from the same norm identity. When $a$ is square the conic is already isotropic. Symmetry follows from this conic criterion. The local cyclic norm index gives a norm subgroup of index two; its sign character is multiplicative in $b$, and symmetry gives multiplicativity in $a$. Thus the symbol is a nondegenerate bilinear pairing on the square-class group of a field, since every nonsquare $a$ gives a nontrivial norm character. Also $(a,-a{)}_v=1$, because $N(\sqrt{a})=-a$, and $(a,a{)}_v=(a,-1{)}_v$.

For an odd-residue-characteristic p-adic field with residue size $q$, write $a={\pi }^{r}u$, $b={\pi }^{s}w$, and let $\chi$ be the quadratic character of the residue units. ThenThe unramified quadratic extension has every unit as a norm and only even norm valuations; in a ramified quadratic extension the norm of a unit has square residue. The preceding unit norm index is two, so the square-residue condition in the ramified case is also sufficient. These facts, together with $N(\sqrt{\pi })=-\pi$, determine the formula on the generators $u,\pi$ of the square-class group. At a real place the symbol is negative exactly when both arguments are negative, and at a complex place it is always one. For ${\mathbb{Q}}_2$, with $u,w$ odd units, the dyadic formula isOnly residue classes modulo eight and the parities of $r,s$ enter; other dyadic fields retain the norm definition.

The Hilbert reciprocity law states ${\prod }_v(a,b{)}_v=1$ for $a,b\in K^{\times }$. Only finitely many factors can be nontrivial: outside the places above two, the Archimedean places, and the finite places where $a$ or $b$ is not a unit, the odd-residue formula gives one. For $K=\mathbb{Q}$ this product formula is a formulation of quadratic reciprocity, including its supplementary laws. It forces local norm obstructions to occur with compatible parity. It is a necessary compatibility law, not by itself a substitute for the following local-to-global theorem.

The Hasse-Minkowski theorem states that a nondegenerate quadratic form over a number field has a nonzero isotropic vector if and only if it does over every completion. Equivalently, two nondegenerate quadratic forms are isometric globally if and only if they are isometric at every place. The forward directions are immediate; the reverse directions are the substantive global theorem. Over non-Archimedean completions, local isometry classes are determined by dimension, determinant square class and the Hasse invariant of a quadratic formAt real places one uses signature, and at complex places dimension suffices. Reciprocity gives ${\prod }_v{ϵ}_v(q)=1$ for a globally diagonalized form. These invariants make the theorem practically usable: local square classes and norm characters replace an unrestricted search for rational solutions. In particular every quadratic form of dimension at least five over a p-adic field is isotropic; for such a form over a number field the only isotropy obstructions are definite signatures at real places.

As a concrete application, take nonsquare $a\in K^{\times }$. Then $b$ is a global norm from $K(\sqrt{a})$ if and only if $(a,b{)}_v=1$ at every place. The local conditions make the ternary form $⟨1,-a,-b⟩$ isotropic everywhere. Hasse-Minkowski theorem gives a global solution of $z^2-a{x}^2=b{y}^2$; since $a$ is nonsquare, $y$ cannot be zero, and division by $y$ gives the global norm. For example $-1$ fails to be a norm from $\mathbb{Q}(i)$ already at the real place. Thus the quadratic Hilbert symbol detects local norm solvability, while the Hasse-Minkowski theorem turns solvability at all places into a global quadratic solution. The reciprocity and local-to-global theorems in this essay are stated as standard results; the norm interpretation, bilinearity and application are derived above.

Logarithms on sufficiently deep units. Suppose $\mathrm{char}K=0$, let $\ell$ be the residue characteristic, and put $e=v(\ell )$. For every integer $r>e/(\ell -1)$ the p-adic logarithm and p-adic exponential function, evaluated in $K$, converge on the required domains:The bounds $v(m!)=e{v}_{\ell }(m!)\le e(m-1)/(\ell -1)$ and $v(m)\le e(m-1)/(\ell -1)$ show that, for $x,y\in {\pi }^r{\mathcal{O}}_K$, every term beyond the linear one has valuation strictly greater than $v(x)$ or $v(y)$. The series therefore converge and preserve these lattices; in particular $\exp (y)\in 1+{\pi }^r{\mathcal{O}}_K$. Their formal composition and addition identities are valid by convergence, giving inverse continuous group homomorphismsThus the logarithm isomorphism on deep principal units isThe right-hand group is torsion-free.

Roots of unity in ${\mathbb{Q}}_p$. For odd $p$, take $\ell =p,e=1,r=1$. The principal unit group $1+p{\mathbb{Z}}_p$ is torsion-free by the logarithm isomorphism on deep principal units. The Teichmuller representative splitting leaves precisely the $p-1$ roots in ${\mu }_{p-1}$.

For $p=2$, take $r=2$. Each odd unit is uniquely $\pm u$ with $u\in 1+4{\mathbb{Z}}_2$, since its residue modulo four is either one or minus one. This latter group is torsion-free. ConsequentlyThis computes the roots of unity in the p-adic numbers.

The units of ${\mathbb{Q}}_2(i)$. Set $\pi =1-i$. Its polynomial $T^2-2T+2$ is Eisenstein, soThe Eisenstein polynomial facts justifying this are stated in the next solution. Write $U_s=1+{\pi }^s{\mathcal{O}}_K$. Reduction gives ${\mathcal{O}}_K^{\times }=U_1$, and the successive quotients of principal-unit groupshave order two for $s\ge 1$. Hence $[U_1:U_3]=4$. The four roots in ${\mu }_4=\{1,i,-1,-i\}$ have distinct images modulo $U_3$, sinceThey exhaust the quotient and intersect $U_3$ trivially. Since $r=3>2/(2-1)$, the logarithm isomorphism on deep principal units gives $U_3\cong ({\mathcal{O}}_K,+)$. Therefore the unit decomposition of the 2-adic Gaussian field isIn particular these four elements are all its roots of unity.

Quadratic extensions. A nonzero element of $K$ is uniquely a power of $\pi$ times a unit, so $K^{\times }\cong {\pi }^{\mathbb{Z}}\times {\mathcal{O}}_K^{\times }$. Squaring on the decomposition above acts as squaring on ${\mu }_4$ and multiplication by two on the additive ring ${\mathcal{O}}_K={\mathbb{Z}}_2\oplus {\mathbb{Z}}_{2}i$. Thus the square-class group of the 2-adic Gaussian field isBy quadratic extensions from square classes, in characteristic different from two the nontrivial square classes classify quadratic extensions $K(\sqrt{a})$: two such extensions are $K$-isomorphic exactly when $a/b$ is a square. There are therefore $\boxed{2^4-1=15}$ quadratic extensions up to $K$-isomorphism.

The filtration and its meaning. Let $L/K$ be a finite Galois extension of non-Archimedean local fields, with group $G$, normalized valuation $v_L$, and residue fields $k_L/k_K$ of characteristic $\ell$. The lower ramification numbering isThe higher ramification groups are normal, decrease with $j$, and eventually become trivial: for each nonidentity automorphism some integral element is moved by a nonzero amount. The first group $G_0$ is the inertia group, withIts fixed field is the maximal unramified extension inside $L$. The wild inertia group is $G_1$. For a uniformizer ${\pi }_L$, there are injective homomorphismsThe kernels are the indicated next groups; the additive homomorphism assertion follows by expanding a product of automorphisms modulo ${\pi }_L^{j+2}$. These maps show that $G_0/G_1$ is cyclic of order prime to $\ell$, while $G_1$ is an $\ell$-group. Thus tame ramification is exactly the case $G_1=1$.

To calculate the groups, the uniformizer criterion for lower ramification groups saysIndeed, ${\mathcal{O}}_L$ is generated by ${\pi }_L$ over the integers of the maximal unramified subextension, which $G_0$ fixes. Differences of powers of ${\pi }_L$ are divisible by $\sigma {\pi }_L-{\pi }_L$, so the one test implies all the defining inequalities.

Eisenstein facts used in the calculations. For a complete discrete valuation ring $A$ with uniformizer $\varpi$, a monic polynomialis an Eisenstein polynomial if $\varpi \mid a_j$ for every $j<d$ and ${\varpi }^2\nmid a_0$. The Eisenstein criterion makes it irreducible. If $\theta$ is a root, its valuation relative to the base normalization is $1/d$, the extension has degree and ramification index $d$, its residue field is unchanged, andThe root valuation follows by comparing the terms of its equation. The ramification index must then be at least $d$, hence exactly $d$. In the basis $1,\theta ,\dots ,{\theta }^{d-1}$, the valuations of $b_j{\theta }^j$ are distinct modulo $d$, so an integral linear combination has every $b_j\in A$. This proves the integer-ring assertion. Conversely, a uniformizer in a totally ramified extension generates the field, and its minimal polynomial is Eisenstein; this follows from its value $1/d$, equal valuations of its conjugates, and the valuation one of its norm.

For a monogenic separable integer ring $A[\theta ]$, the different ideal is generated by $f^{\prime }(\theta )$. For a Galois extension, the different exponent from ramification groups isIn the totally ramified case these agree directly: $f^{\prime }({\pi }_L)={\prod }_{\sigma \ne 1}({\pi }_L-\sigma {\pi }_L)$, and an automorphism with displacement valuation $h$ contributes once to each of $G_0,\dots ,G_{h-1}$.

Upper numbering. Extend the lower indexing to real $s\ge 0$ by $G_s=G_{\lceil s\rceil }$, and setOn $[-1,0]$ take $\phi (s)=s$. This Herbrand function slows the indexing as the groups shrink. Lower numbering is compatible with subgroups, while upper ramification numbering is compatible with quotients: for normal $H$, $(G/H{)}^u=G^{u}H/H$. This is the fact that upper ramification groups commute with quotients. Thus upper breaks are particularly useful when comparing intermediate Galois extensions.

The eighth-root cyclotomic extension. Put $\zeta ={\zeta }_8$ and $\pi =\zeta -1$. The shifted cyclotomic polynomialis Eisenstein at two. Hence $L={\mathbb{Q}}_2(\zeta )$ is totally ramified of degree four, $v_L(2)=4$, and $\pi$ is a uniformizer. Its Galois group consists of ${\sigma }_a(\zeta )={\zeta }^a$ for $a=1,3,5,7$, and is $C_2\times C_2$.

Since $\zeta$ is a unit,For $a=3,7$, this is the valuation of $i-1$ or $-i-1$, namely two, because their squares are units times two. For $a=5$, it is $v_L(-2)=4$. The ramification groups of the eighth-root cyclotomic extension of the 2-adic field are thereforeThe lower breaks are one and three, andThus the upper breaks are one and two:The different exponent from ramification groups is $3+3+1+1=8$, agreeing with $v_L(4{\zeta }^3)=8$ from the derivative of $T^4+1$.

The cubic splitting field at three. Let ${\alpha }^3=2$, $\zeta ={\zeta }_3$, and putThe polynomialsare Eisenstein at three. They give totally ramified subextensions of degrees three and two. Their intersection is the base field, so $L={\mathbb{Q}}_3(\alpha ,\zeta )$ has degree six. Its ramification index is divisible by both three and two, hence equals six; therefore $L/{\mathbb{Q}}_3$ is totally ramified. It is the splitting field of $T^3-2$, with Galois group $S_3$.

Normalize $v_L$ so that $v_L(3)=6$. Then $v_L(\beta )=2$ and $v_L(\lambda )=3$, makinga uniformizer. Let $\sigma (\alpha )=\zeta \alpha ,\sigma (\zeta )=\zeta$ and $\tau (\alpha )=\alpha ,\tau (\zeta )={\zeta }^2$. They generate $S_3$. Since $\tau (\lambda )=(\zeta +1)\lambda$,For the order-three automorphism,Here $\alpha$ is a unit and $v_L(\zeta \alpha +1)=v_L(\sigma \beta )=2$. The same calculation gives valuation two for ${\sigma }^2$. The three transpositions are conjugate and the defining filtration is normal, so they all have displacement valuation one. The ramification groups of the splitting field of T3 minus 2 over Q3 areThe lower breaks are zero and one. Since $[G_0:G_s]=2$ for $0<s\le 1$,and the upper groups areThe different exponent from ramification groups is $5+2=7$. As an independent check, the cubic subfield has different exponent $v_{{\mathbb{Q}}_3(\alpha )}(3{\alpha }^2)=3$, and the quadratic extension above it is tame with different exponent one. Transitivity of the different ideal gives $1+2\cdot 3=7$, as required.

False. TakeEach of $L/K$ and $M/L$ is a quadratic extension and hence normal. However, $T^4-2$ has the root $\sqrt[4]{2}$ in $M$ while its roots $i\sqrt[4]{2}$ and $-i\sqrt[4]{2}$ are absent. Thus $M/K$ is not normal.

At finitely many finite places of a number field, choose square-class parameters for the local unramified quadratic extensions. Local square classes are open, including at dyadic places by the strong form of Hensel lemma. Weak approximation for number fields gives a global parameter in all the prescribed local classes. Its quadratic extension is unramified of residue degree two at those places, so their extended prime ideals remain prime. If no finite place is prescribed, an auxiliary local nonsquare condition ensures the global extension is nontrivial.

For a field of characteristic different from two, adjoining a square root of a nonsquare gives every quadratic extension. If two such extensions are isomorphic over $K$, write $\sqrt{a}=x+y\sqrt{b}$; the vanishing of its cross coefficient forces $x=0$, giving $a/b=y^2$. This explains why one subtracts the identity class when counting extensions from the square-class group.

For a p-adic field with odd residue characteristic, the square map is an isomorphism on $1+{\mathfrak{m}}_K$ by Hensel lemma. The parity of the valuation and the square class of the residue unit therefore determine the square-class group of a field. Its three nontrivial classes give the three quadratic extensions: one unramified extension and two totally ramified extensions.

The valuation contributes one factor $C_2$. The unit decomposition of the 2-adic Gaussian field contributes ${\mu }_4/{\mu }_4^2\cong C_2$ and the additive quotient ${\mathbb{Z}}_2[i]/2{\mathbb{Z}}_2[i]\cong C_2^2$. Thus there are sixteen square classes and fifteen quadratic extensions over this field.