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Over ${\mathbb{F}}_7$, the polynomial $t^4-1$ factors as $(t-1)(t+1)(t^2+1)$. Since $-1$ is not a square modulo $7$, the last factor is an irreducible polynomial. The splitting field is ${\mathbb{F}}_{49}$, so $\boxed{\mathrm{Gal}(t^4-1/{\mathbb{F}}_7)\cong C_2}$. The finite-field Frobenius automorphism fixes $1,-1$ and swaps the other two roots.

The polynomial $t^3-t-2$ has values $3,3,4,2,3$ at $0,1,2,3,4$ respectively, modulo $5$. Thus $t^3-t-2$ has no root and is an irreducible polynomial over ${\mathbb{F}}_5$. One root generates ${\mathbb{F}}_{125}$; all its Frobenius conjugates are there, so this is its splitting field. Hence $\boxed{\mathrm{Gal}(t^3-t-2/{\mathbb{F}}_5)\cong C_3}$, generated by $x\mapsto x^5$, a 3-cycle on the roots.

A cyclotomic field over $\mathbb{Q}$ is a field $\mathbb{Q}({\zeta }_m)$ generated by an $m$th root of unity of exact order $m$. It contains all roots of $X^m-1$, and is its splitting field. In characteristic zero this polynomial is separable, so the extension is Galois.

Every automorphism sends ${\zeta }_m$ to ${\zeta }_m^a$ with $a\in (\mathbb{Z}/m\mathbb{Z}{)}^{\times }$, and is determined by that image. Composition multiplies the exponents modulo $m$, yielding an injective homomorphism into an abelian group. Thus the Galois group is abelian. Using irreducibility of the cyclotomic polynomial, every unit exponent occurs andIf “cyclotomic” is used more broadly for a subfield of such a field, it is still Galois and abelian, because every subgroup of an abelian Galois group is normal.

The splitting field of $f\in K[t]$ is the smallest extension $L/K$ in which $f$ is a product of linear factors; equivalently, $L$ is generated over $K$ by all its roots of a polynomial. To prove existence and uniqueness of splitting fields, adjoin a root of an irreducible polynomial dividing $f$ and repeat until $f$ splits. If $L$ and $L^{\prime }$ are two resulting fields, an embedding between the fields generated so far extends by sending each newly adjoined root to a root of its transformed minimal polynomial. Repetition gives a $K$-embedding $L\to L^{\prime }$, whose image contains every root of $f$ and is therefore all of $L^{\prime }$. Thus the splitting field exists and is unique up to $K$-isomorphism.

Now write $K={\mathbb{F}}_q$, and let the distinct irreducible factors of $f$ have degrees $d_1,\dots ,d_r$. The irreducible factors of a finite-field Frobenius polynomial show that a root of the degree-$d_i$ factor lies in ${\mathbb{F}}_{q^n}$ exactly when $d_i\mid n$. Hence the splitting field over a finite field isEvery finite field is a perfect field, so $L/K$ is separable; it is normal because it is a splitting field. It is consequently a Galois extension. More explicitly, the Galois group of a finite field extension is the cyclic group of order $m$ generated by the finite-field Frobenius automorphism $x\mapsto x^q$.

Finally, let $N_2(n)$ denote the number of monic irreducible polynomials over a finite field of degree $n$ over ${\mathbb{F}}_2$. Sinceand $\mu (1)=1$, $\mu (3)=-1$, $\mu (9)=0$, we obtain

Because $K$ has characteristic $p$, the prime field ${\mathbb{F}}_p$ lies in $K$, andfor every $c\in {\mathbb{F}}_p$. These are all $p$ roots. Moreover $f^{\prime }(t)=-1$, so $f$ is a separable polynomial.

Let $m(t)$ be the minimal polynomial of an algebraic element of $\alpha$ over $K$. Translation by $c\in {\mathbb{F}}_p$ sends an irreducible factor $g(t)$ of $f(t)$ to the irreducible factor $g(t-c)$. The additive group of ${\mathbb{F}}_p$ therefore acts on the irreducible factors, and every orbit has size $1$ or $p$. An orbit of size $p$ would already contribute $p\mathrm{deg}m$ to the degree-$p$ polynomial $f$, forcing $\mathrm{deg}m=1$. Then $\alpha \in K$, all roots $\alpha +c$ lie in $K$, and $L=K$, contrary to the hypothesis.

Thus $m(t-c)=m(t)$ for every $c\in {\mathbb{F}}_p$. If $1\le d=\mathrm{deg}m<p$, comparison of the coefficient of $t^{d-1}$ in $m(t-c)-m(t)$ for $c\ne 0$ gives $-dc$ times the nonzero leading coefficient, a contradiction. Hence $\mathrm{deg}m=p$, and since $m$ is a monic divisor of the monic degree-$p$ polynomial $f$, we have $m=f$. Thus $f$ is irreducible over $K$.

All roots $\alpha +c$ already belong to $K(\alpha )$, so the splitting field isAs the splitting field of a separable polynomial, $L/K$ is a Galois extension. For each $c\in {\mathbb{F}}_p$, irreducibility gives a distinct $K$-automorphismThese exhaust the $p=[L:K]$ automorphisms. This is an Artin–Schreier extension, and

Proceed by induction on $d=\mathrm{deg}f$. A nonconstant polynomial over a field has an irreducible factor $h$. Part (a) gives an extension $k_1/k$ containing a root ${\alpha }_1$ of $h$, hence of $f$. The factor theorem giveswhere $f_1$ is monic of degree $d-1$. Apply the induction hypothesis over $k_1$ and compose the resulting field extensions. The final field $F$ contains roots ${\alpha }_1,\dots ,{\alpha }_d$ andEquivalently, every polynomial has a splitting field.

Let $L$ be a splitting field of $f(X)=X^m-1$ over $k$. Its formal derivative isThe assumption on the characteristic of $k$ says that $m\ne 0$ in $k$. Any root $\alpha$ of $f$ is nonzero, and hence $f^{\prime }(\alpha )=m{\alpha }^{m-1}\ne 0$. Thus $f$ and $f^{\prime }$ have no common root, so $f$ is a separable polynomial. Since it has degree $m$ and splits over $L$, it has exactly $m$ distinct roots. This is the separability of roots of unity.

Fix a primitive root of unity ${\zeta }_m=e^{2\pi i/m}$. Define the $m$th cyclotomic polynomial byIt is monic and has degree given by the Euler totient function $\phi (m)$. Partitioning all $m$th roots of unity according to their exact multiplicative order gives the cyclotomic factorizationWe now prove by mathematical induction that ${\Phi }_m\in \mathbb{Z}[X]$. The base case is ${\Phi }_1=X-1$. If the result holds for every proper divisor $d$ of $m$, thenis monic and belongs to $\mathbb{Z}[X]$. Polynomial division of $X^m-1$ by the monic integer polynomial $G$ produces a quotient and remainder in $\mathbb{Z}[X]$. The factorization over $\mathbb{C}$ says that the remainder is zero and the quotient is ${\Phi }_m$, proving the claim.

It remains to prove irreducibility of cyclotomic polynomials. Let $f\in \mathbb{Z}[X]$ be a monic irreducible polynomial dividing ${\Phi }_m$, let $\epsilon$ be a root of $f$, and write ${\Phi }_m=fg$. We claim that ${\epsilon }^p$ is a root of $f$ for every prime number $p\nmid m$. Otherwise ${\epsilon }^p$ is a root of $g$, so $\epsilon$ is a root of $g(X^p)$. Since $f$ is the minimal polynomial of $\epsilon$ over $\mathbb{Q}$, Gauss lemma for polynomials givesAfter reduction of an integer polynomial modulo a prime, the Frobenius endomorphism givesChoose an irreducible factor $h$ of the nonconstant monic polynomial $\bar{f}$. Then $h\mid \bar{g}$, so $h^2\mid \bar{f}\bar{g}={\bar{\Phi }}_m$. The cyclotomic factorization would then make $h^2$ divide $X^m-1$ over ${\mathbb{F}}_p$. This is impossible because its derivative $m{X}^{m-1}$ is coprime to it when $p\nmid m$.

Thus $f({\epsilon }^p)=0$ for every prime $p\nmid m$. Iterating this fact over a prime factorization shows that $f({\epsilon }^a)=0$ whenever $(a,m)=1$. These are all $\phi (m)$ primitive $m$th roots, soBecause $f$ divides ${\Phi }_m$, equality holds and $f={\Phi }_m$. Hence every cyclotomic polynomial is irreducible over $\mathbb{Q}$.

Finally, direct multiplication givesAlsoApplying the cyclotomic factorization to the two factors on the right givesand thereforeSince $X^2-X+1={\Phi }_6(X)$, cancellation yieldsThe thirtieth cyclotomic polynomial is irreducible over $\mathbb{Q}$ by the theorem just proved, so $F$ is irreducible.

Write $q=p^r$, where $p=\mathrm{char}K$. Forthe derivative isso $h$ is a separable polynomial and all its roots in its splitting field $L$ are distinct.

Let $R$ be the set of these roots. The Frobenius endomorphism and the identitiesshow that $R$ is closed under addition and multiplication. It is also closed under additive inverses and, for $x\ne 0$, inversion. Thus $R$ is a finite field. Since $h$ splits into $q^n$ distinct linear factors, $|R|=q^n$. The field generated by all roots is therefore $R$ itself, so $L=R$ andHence the polynomial characterization of a finite field gives

Now let $f\in K[X]$ be irreducible of degree $n$, and let $\alpha$ be a root in an algebraic closure. The minimal polynomial of an algebraic element givesso $K(\alpha )$ has $q^n$ elements. Its nonzero elements form a finite group under multiplication, of order $q^n-1$; hence ${\alpha }^{q^n}=\alpha$. Therefore $\alpha$ is a root of $X^{q^n}-X$, and its minimal polynomial $f$ divides every polynomial over $K$ that vanishes at $\alpha$. Thus the irreducible factors of a finite-field Frobenius polynomial satisfy

A splitting field of $f\in K[X]$ is an extension $L/K$ in whichfor roots ${\alpha }_r\in L$, and which is generated by those roots:The generation condition is the required minimality: no proper intermediate field containing $K$ can still contain every root.

Every $\tau \in \mathrm{Aut}(L({\xi }_N)/K({\xi }_N))$ fixes $K$ and permutes the roots of $f$, so it preserves their splitting field $L$. Restriction therefore defines a homomorphismIf $\rho (\tau )$ is the identity, then $\tau$ fixes both $L$ and ${\xi }_N$, which generate $L({\xi }_N)$; hence $\tau$ is the identity. Thus $\rho$ is injective, and its image is a subgroup:

A field extension $L/K$ is a splitting field for $f\in K[X]$ when $f$ splits into linear factors over $L$ and $L$ is generated over $K$ by the roots of $f$. Equivalently, it is the smallest extension inside an algebraic closure over which $f$ splits.

To prove existence, choose an irreducible factor of $f$, adjoin one of its roots, and factor $f$ over the resulting finite extension. If a nonlinear factor remains, adjoin one of its roots and repeat. Each step lowers the total degree of the unsplit factors, so after finitely many finite extensions the polynomial splits. The field generated by the roots obtained is therefore a splitting field.

The precise uniqueness theorem says that if $L$ and $L^{\prime }$ are splitting fields of the same polynomial $f$ over $K$, then there is a field embedding isomorphismwhose restriction to $K$ is the identity. More generally, an isomorphism of base fields carrying one polynomial to another extends to an isomorphism of their splitting fields. Thus splitting fields are unique up to base-field isomorphism; inside a fixed algebraic closure, the field generated by all the roots is literally unique. These facts are summarized by existence and uniqueness of splitting fields.

LetThe roots of $X^3-2$ are $\alpha ,\omega \alpha ,{\omega }^2\alpha$, sois the splitting field of x cubed minus two. As a subfield of $\mathbb{C}$ it is unique, because any splitting field in $\mathbb{C}$ must contain all three roots and hence must contain both $\alpha$ andminimality then forces it to equal $\mathbb{Q}(\alpha ,\omega )$.

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.

Takeand let $N=C_p\times \{1\}$. Takethe affine group over a finite field, and let $N^{\prime }$ be its translation subgroup. Both normal subgroups have order $p$, andThe groups are not isomorphic: $G$ is abelian, while $G^{\prime }$ is nonabelian.

For $p=3$, letThen $\mathrm{Gal}(L/\mathbb{Q})\cong C_6=G$. The fixed field of its subgroup $N$ of order three is its unique quadratic subfield,

Letthe splitting field of $X^3-2$. Its Galois group is $S_3\cong {\mathrm{AGL}}_1({\mathbb{F}}_3)=G^{\prime }$. The normal subgroup $N^{\prime }=A_3$ fixes the quadratic discriminant field, so

Now let $p>3$. Part (a), with $r=p(p-1)$, supplies a cyclic Galois extension with group $G$. For $G^{\prime }$, take the splitting fieldof $X^p-2$. The prime $2$ is unramified in $\mathbb{Q}({\zeta }_p)$, so at every prime ideal above $2$ its valuation is one. It cannot therefore be a $p$th power in the cyclotomic field. HenceThe automorphismsand, for $a\in {\mathbb{F}}_p^{\times }$,satisfyThey generate all $p(p-1)$ automorphisms, provingThis is the affine Galois group of the splitting field of x to the p minus two.

A finite extension $L/K$ is normal when every irreducible polynomial in $K[T]$ having one root in $L$ splits completely over $L$.

Suppose first that $L/K$ is normal. Choose ${\alpha }_1,\dots ,{\alpha }_m$ with $L=K({\alpha }_1,\dots ,{\alpha }_m)$, and let $f_j$ be the minimal polynomial of ${\alpha }_j$ over $K$. Every $f_j$ splits in $L$ by normality, and $L$ is generated by their roots because it is already generated by the particular roots ${\alpha }_j$. Thus $L$ is the splitting field of $f_1\cdots f_m$.

Conversely, suppose that $L$ is the splitting field of $f\in K[T]$. Every $K$-embedding $\sigma :L\to \overline{K}$ permutes the roots of $f$, so $\sigma (L)=L$. By the embedding characterization of normality, $L/K$ is normal. This proves the finite normal extension as a splitting field criterion.

False. Letwhere $\omega$ is a primitive cube root of unity. Then $M$ is the splitting field of $T^3-2$ over $\mathbb{Q}$, so $M/K$ is normal. The irreducible polynomial $T^3-2$ has a root in $L$ but does not split there, so $L/K$ is not normal.

Put $\alpha =\sqrt[4]{7}$. The roots of $T^4-7$ are $\alpha ,i\alpha ,-\alpha ,-i\alpha$, so its splitting field isThe polynomial is irreducible over $\mathbb{Q}$ by the Eisenstein criterion at $7$, and $\mathbb{Q}(\alpha )\subset \mathbb{R}$ does not contain $i$. The tower law for field extensions therefore gives $[L:\mathbb{Q}]=8$.

Define automorphismsThey satisfy $r^4=s^2=1$ and $srs=r^{-1}$. The eight maps $r^j$ and $r^{j}s$ are distinct, so they exhaust the Galois group. Hencethe dihedral group of order eight.

The Galois correspondence gives all intermediate fields. The full list, with a single generator for each field, isFor example, $\sqrt{7}+i$ has stabilizer $⟨r^2⟩$, and $(1+i)\alpha$ has stabilizer $⟨rs⟩$; the other entries follow similarly. Also $\alpha +i$ has trivial stabilizer, so its orbit has eight elements and the primitive element theorem conclusion $L=\mathbb{Q}(\alpha +i)$ holds explicitly.

Finally, the normal subextension criterion says that normal intermediate fields correspond exactly to normal subgroups. In $D_8$ these are $D_8$, $⟨r⟩$, the two index-two Klein four-groups, $⟨r^2⟩$, and $\{1\}$, which gives exactly the “yes” rows above. This is the subfields of the splitting field of x to the fourth minus seven lattice.

An element $x\in L$ is separable over $K$ when its minimal polynomial $m_x(T)\in K[T]$ has distinct roots in a splitting field.

Because $m_x$ is irreducible, it is separable exactly whenIf $m_x^{\prime }\ne 0$, then $\mathrm{deg}{m}_x^{\prime }<\mathrm{deg}{m}_x$, so irreducibility makes this greatest common divisor equal to one. If $m_x^{\prime }=0$, the zero-derivative criterion givesfor some $g\in K[T]$, and $m_x$ is inseparable. Therefore

Let $y_1,\dots ,y_r$ be the distinct roots of $g$ in its splitting field $L$. For each $i$, let $x_i$ be the unique $p$th root of $y_i$ in an algebraic closure. Thenso the roots ofare precisely the $x_i$. HenceBut $y_i=x_i^p$, so $L=K(y_1,\dots ,y_r)\subseteq K(x_1,\dots ,x_r)$. It follows thatwhich proves that $M$ is also the splitting field of $f$ over $K$, as in the splitting field of a polynomial obtained by Frobenius substitution.

Moreover $x_i^p=y_i\in L$, so every root of $f$ is purely inseparable over $L$. In fact $M/L$ is purely inseparable.

Now take $\sigma \in \mathrm{Aut}(L/K)$. The extension theorem for field embeddings extends $\sigma$ to a $K$-embedding of $M$ into an algebraic closure. Since $M$ is a splitting field of $f$ over $K$, its image is again $M$, so this extension is an automorphism $\tau$ of $M$. It is unique: for every root $x_i$,and the Frobenius endomorphism gives only one possible $p$th root. Since the $x_i$ generate $M$ over $L$, $\tau$ is uniquely determined. This is the unique embedding extension through a purely inseparable extension.

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 $A_3\cong C_3$.