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A polynomial root that is an integer. For a polynomial with integer coefficients and nonzero constant term, any integer root divides that constant term, by the rational root theorem.

Write a rational root of a polynomial as $\gamma =a/b$ in lowest terms with $b>0$. Substituting into the monic integer-coefficient polynomial and multiplying by $b^d$ givesEvery term other than $a^d$ is divisible by $b$, so $b\mid a^d$. But $\gcd (a,b)=1$ implies $\gcd (a^d,b)=1$, and hence $b=1$. ThusThis is the monic case of the rational root theorem. The monic polynomial assumption is essential because it removes any leading coefficient that could supply prime factors of the denominator.

A cubic polynomial over a field is reducible if and only if it has a root in that field: a nontrivial factorization of degree three has a linear polynomial factor, and conversely a root supplies one by the factor theorem.

The rational root theorem, or part (b), shows that a rational root of this monic polynomial must be an integer. Such an integer must divide the constant coefficient $4$, so the only candidates are $\pm 1,\pm 2,\pm 4$. Direct evaluation givesNone vanishes. Hence there is no rational root, provingThe same no-root argument alone would not decide a quartic polynomial, which could factor as two quadratic polynomials; its sufficiency here uses degree three.

Expansion down the last column gives the characteristic polynomialThe quadratic polynomial has roots $(1\pm \sqrt{5})/2$, which are not rational numbers. For example, the rational root theorem restricts any rational root of this monic integer polynomial to $1$ or $-1$, and neither works. If $A$ had a diagonalization over $\mathbb{Q}$, its characteristic polynomial would be a product of linear factors with rational numbers as their roots. It is not, so $A$ is not diagonalizable over $\mathbb{Q}$.

Use completing the square in the Hermitian form $x^{\ast }Ax$, rather than unitary diagonalization of a normal matrix. The first pivot is one, soA second square completion givesTherefore one answer isThe diagonal entries of $D$ are rational, $\det T=1$, and the displayed identity for every $x$ proves $T^{\ast }DT=A$.

If $T$ were a unitary matrix, this matrix congruence would also be a similarity transformation, so the diagonal entries of $D$ would be the eigenvalues of $A$. Its characteristic polynomial isThus its eigenvalues are $3,3+\sqrt{10},3-\sqrt{10}$, two of which are irrational. A unitary factor cannot give a rational diagonal here. Alternatively, the permitted rational root theorem implies that three rational eigenvalues would all be integers, whereas the quadratic factor has no integer roots.

A cubic over a field is reducible exactly when it has a root in that field: a nontrivial factorization must contain a degree-one factor. By the rational root theorem, a rational root of this monic integer polynomial must be an integer dividing its constant coefficient, hence either $1$ or $-1$. Substitution gives $-2$ and $4$, respectively. Neither is zero. Thus the cubic is irreducible over $\mathbb{Q}$.

Write the rational number as $r=p/q$ with coprime integers $p,q$ and $q>0$. Substituting into the monic polynomial and multiplying by $q^n$ givesAll terms except the first are divisible by $q$, so $q\mid p^n$. If $q>1$, it has a prime factor dividing $p^n$, and the Euclid lemma implies that this prime divides $p$, contradicting coprimality. Thus $q=1$, proving this special case of the rational root theorem:

For $P(x)=x^3+4x-7$, the derivative $P^{\prime }(x)=3x^2+4$ is positive everywhere, so the mean value theorem makes $P$ strictly increasing. Since a polynomial is a continuous function, the intermediate value theorem and the values $P(1)=-2$, $P(2)=9$ locate its unique real root in $(1,2)$. By the rational root theorem, a rational root of a monic integer polynomial must be an integer. There is no integer in $(1,2)$, so the unique real root is an irrational number. The denominator part of that theorem also follows directly: if $a/b$ in lowest terms were a root, $a^3+4a{b}^2-7b^3=0$ would force $b\mid a^3$, hence $b=1$.

Let $G$ be the Galois group of a polynomial of the irreducible quartic. Irreducibility makes $G$ a transitive subgroup of $S_4$. The three roots of the given cubic resolvent of a quartic correspond to the three partitions of the four quartic roots into two unordered pairs, and the kernel of the $S_4$-action on these partitions is the Klein four-group $V_4$. If the resolvent has Galois group $S_3$, the image of $G$ in this action is all of $S_3$. Among the transitive subgroups of the symmetric group on four points, only $S_4$ has this image. Hence

Now put $f_p(t)=t^4+pt+p$. The Eisenstein criterion at $p$ proves that $f_p$ is an irreducible polynomial, and its cubic resolvent isIts discriminant of a depressed cubic isFor odd $p$, the $p$-adic valuation of ${\Delta }_p$ is three because $p\nmid 256$; for $p=2$, ${\Delta }_2=2^4\cdot 101$. Thus ${\Delta }_p$ is never a square in $\mathbb{Q}$.

By the rational root theorem, a reducible $g_p$ has an integer root among $\pm 1,\pm p,\pm p^2$. Reduction modulo $p$ shows that the root is divisible by $p$; writing it as $pk$, with $k\in \{\pm 1,\pm p\}$, givesThe only possibilities are $k=-1,p=3$ and $k=1,p=5$, corresponding to roots $-3$ and $5$. For every other prime, $g_p$ is irreducible with nonsquare discriminant, so its Galois group is $S_3$ and the criterion above gives the quartic group $S_4$. For $p=3$ or $5$, the reducible resolvent makes the quartic group a proper subgroup. Therefore

The element $\alpha$ is a root ofBy the rational root theorem, any rational root of this monic polynomial must be one ofDirect substitution shows that none is a root. A reducible cubic over a field has a linear factor, so $f$ is an irreducible polynomial over $\mathbb{Q}$. It is therefore the minimal polynomial of $\alpha$, and

Irreducibility makes the quartic Galois group a transitive subgroup of $S_4$. Its square discriminant puts it inside $A_4$, leaving $V_4$ or $A_4$. The cubic resolvent isThe rational root theorem shows it is irreducible over $\mathbb{Q}$. Thus the Galois group acts transitively on the three pairings of four roots, excluding $V_4$. Consequently

If a monic polynomial $f$ has roots ${\alpha }_1,\dots ,{\alpha }_n$ in a splitting field, its polynomial discriminant isIt is a symmetric polynomial in the roots, so it belongs to the base field; it is nonzero exactly when $f$ is a separable polynomial.

Putthe Vandermonde determinant. A root permutation $\sigma$ sends $D$ to $\mathrm{sgn}(\sigma )D$. Hence the Galois group of a polynomial is contained in the alternating group $A_n$ exactly when every Galois automorphism fixes $D$, which by the fixed-field property is equivalent to $D\in K$. This implies that $\mathrm{disc}(f)=D^2$ is a square in $K$. Conversely, if $\mathrm{disc}(f)=d^2$ for $d\in K$, then $D^2=d^2$, so $D=\pm d\in K$. The Galois group therefore fixes $D$ and consists of even permutations. This proves the discriminant criterion for an alternating Galois group.

Now letThe rational root theorem shows that none of $\pm 1,\pm 2$ is a root, so this cubic is irreducible over $\mathbb{Q}$. The discriminant of a depressed cubic isThis is not a square in $\mathbb{Q}$, so the Galois group of an irreducible cubic is $S_3$ over $\mathbb{Q}$.

Over $K=\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt{-19})$, the discriminant is the squareThe cubic remains irreducible: a root in the degree-two extension $K/\mathbb{Q}$ would generate over $\mathbb{Q}$ both a degree-three field, by irreducibility, and a subfield of a degree-two field, contradicting the tower law for field extensions. Its Galois group over $K$ is consequently $A_3\cong C_3$.

The Fundamental theorem of symmetric polynomials states that every symmetric polynomial in $n$ variables over a field is a polynomial in the elementary symmetric polynomials, uniquely so. For the three roots, Vieta's formulas give $e_1=0$, $e_2=p$, $e_3=-q$.

The squared product of root differences is symmetric. Expansion in elementary symmetric polynomials givesOne can verify the displayed identity simply by substituting the definitions of $e_1,e_2,e_3$ and expanding; it is the cubic polynomial discriminant.

If the cubic is irreducible, its roots are distinct in characteristic zero, so $\delta \ne 0$. Its Galois group is a transitive subgroup of $S_3$, hence either $A_3$ or $S_3$. A permutation of the roots multiplies $\delta$ by its sign. The fixed-field assertion of the Fundamental theorem of Galois theory therefore gives $\delta \in \mathbb{Q}$ exactly when all group elements are even. ThusFor example, $f=x^3-3x-1$ has no rational root: neither $1$ nor $-1$ is a root, and these are the only possibilities by the rational root theorem. Its discriminant is $108-27=81$, so $\delta =\pm 9\in \mathbb{Q}$ and its group is $A_3$.