MATH 202 - ALGEBRA IV - HW 3 SOLUTIONS

CHRIS LEBAILLY, MIGUEL-ANGEL MANRIQUE, WEI YUAN

1. Section 14.2
3.
Proposition. Let K be the splitting field of the separable polynomial (x2 2)(x2 3)(x2 5) Q[x]. Then
Gal(K/Q)
= Z/2Z Z/2Z Z/2Z and the set of all of subfields of K containing Q is

S = {Q, Q( 2), Q( 3), Q( 5), Q( 6), Q( 10), Q( 30), Q( 15), Q( 2, 3),

Q( 2, 5), Q( 3, 5), Q( 2, 15), Q( 3, 10), Q( 5, 6), Q( 6, 10), K}.



Proof. It follows that K = Q( 2,
Q( 2, 3)(
3, 5)
=
5). The field2 Q( 2, 3) has degree4 over
Qbe
Example
4
of
14.1
in
[1];
since
5

6
Q(
2,
3)
and
5
is
a
root
of
x

5,
the
degree
of
Q(
2,
3)( 5)

over Q( 2, 3) is equal to 2; therefore

[K : Q] = [Q( 2, 3)( 5) : Q]



= [Q( 2, 3)( 5) : Q( 2, 3)][Q( 2, 3) : Q]
= (2)(4)
= 8.
Hence, by Theorem 14 of 14.2 in [1], # Gal(K/Q) = 8.

a root
Any automorphism Gal(K/Q) must map the generators 2, 3 and 5 to
of their
respective
minimal polynomials. Thus, because is defined by where it maps the generators 2, 3 and 5, we may
characterize by

2 7 2
:
3 7 3

5 7 5.
Since # Gal(K/Q) = 8, these eight distinct possibilities must be elements of Gal(K/Q). Furthermore, for
1 , 2 , 3 Gal(K/Q) such that

2
2
2 7
2 7
2 7 2
1 :
, 2 :
and 3 :
,
3 7 3
3 7 3
3 7 3

5 7 5
5 7 5
5 7 5
it follows that
Gal(K/Q)
= h1 i h2 i h3 i
= Z/2Z Z/2Z Z/2Z.
There are 7 elements of order 2 (all non-identity elements), and their fixed fields are the 7 bi-quadratic
fields given in the statement. There are 7 subgroups of order 4, and their fixed fields are the 7 quadratic
fields listed. Corresponding to 1 and to G we have K and Q. These subfields of K exhaust the possibilities
by the bijective correspondence of Theorem 14 of 14.2 in [1] to complete the proof.

Date: 06/01/2011.
1

6.

Proposition. Let K = Q( 8 2, i) and let F1 = Q(i), F2 = Q( 2) and F1 = Q( 2). Then Gal(K/F1 )

= Z8 ,
Gal(K/F2 )
= D8 and Gal(K/F3 )
= Q8 .
Proof. Let be a primitive eighth root of unity. By the discussion in 14.2 of [1],


8
Gal(Q( 2, i)/Q) = , : 8 = 2 = 1, = 3
for the automorphisms and of K such that

8
8

2 7 2
: i 7 i

7 5

(1)

8
8

2 7 2
and : i 7 i

7 7 .

2 
From these relations, it follows that

2 F1 2is
 the fixed field of H1 = hi, F2 is the fixed field of H2 = ,
and F3 is the fixed field of H3 = , ; therefore, by Corollary 11 of 14.2 in [1], Gal(K/Fi ) = Hi for all
i {1, 2, 3}.
Also by the relations in (3), 8 = 1 and so H1 is a group of order 8 containing an element of order 8.
Thus H1 is isomorphic to the cyclic group Z8 . Similarly, we have the equations ( 2 )4 = 1, 2 = 1 and
2 = ( ) = ( 3 ) = 1 . Hence


H2 = 2 , : ( 2 )4 = 2 = 1, = 1 .
Since these generators and relations uniquely define the dihedral group of order 8, H2
= D8 . Lastly, the
relations in (3) also imply that ( 2 )4 = 1, ( 3 )4 = 1, 2 ( 3 ) = ( 3 )1 2 and ( 2 )2 = 4 = ( 3 )2 , we
find that


H3 = 2 , 3 : ( 2 )4 = ( 3 )4 = 1, 2 ( 3 ) = ( 3 )1 2 , ( 2 )2 = ( 3 )2 .
Therefore H3

= Q8 .
10.
Proposition. Let K be the splitting field over Q of x8 3 Q[x] and let be a primitive eighth root
of unity. The Galois group Gal(K/Q) is the group of automorphisms a,b : K K indexed by (a, b)
(Z/8Z) (Z/8Z) , where a,b fixes Q and
(

8
3 7 a 8 3
a,b :
(2)
7 b .
This identification yields an isomorphism
Gal(K/Q)
= (Z/8Z) o (Z/8Z) (semi-direct product),
where the multiplicative group (Z/8Z) acts on the additive group Z/8Z by multiplication.

a 8
Proof. The eight distinct roots of x8 3 are given
Thus K = Q(, 8 3). Note
by 3 for a {0, 1,
. . . , 7}.
that by the discussion in 14.2 of [1], Q() = Q( 2, i). We claim that 2 6 Q( 8 3). Granting this, we see
that

8
8
[Q( 2, 3) : Q] = 2 [Q( 3) : Q] = 16.

Then since i cannot be embedded in R, we have that K is the degree 2 extension of Q( 2, 8 3) obtained by
adjoining i, and hence [K : Q] = 2 16 = 32.

There are various ways to prove the claim that 2

6 Q( 8 3); perhaps the simplest is to use Eisensteins
criterion with the polynomial x8 3 overthe ring Z[ 2] with the maximal
ideal (3); this shows that the
polynomial
is
irreducible
over
the
UFD
Z[
2],
hence
irreducible
over
Q(
2) by Gausss Lemma, and hence

[Q( 2, 8 3) : Q] = 16, proving the claim.

For any Gal(K/Q), the generators 8 3 and must be sent to roots of their respective minimal
polynomials. That is, is of the form a,b as in (4). Since there are exactly 32 pairs (a, b) and [K : Q] = 32,
we see that each a,b does indeed yield an element of Gal(K/Q).
2

It remains to determine the group structure of Gal(K/Q). We calculate that

8
8
8
a,b c,d ( 3) = a,b ( c 3) = a+bc 3.
a,b c,d () = a,b ( d ) = bd .
Therefore a,b c,d = a+bc,bd , which gives the semi-direct product as desired:
Gal(K/Q)
= (Z/8Z) o (Z/8Z) .

12.
p

Proposition. Let K be the splitting field over Q of x4 14x2 + 9 Q[x] and let 1 = 7 + 2 10. Then
K = Q(1 ), and Gal(K/Q)
= Z/2Z Z/2Z, the Klein 4-group.
p

Proof. Let 2 = 7 2 10. A straightforward computation using the quadraticformula shows that 1
and 2 are the distinct roots of x4 14x2 + 9. So K = Q(1 , 2 ). Since 1 2 = 49 40 = 3, we see that
2 Q(1 ); so in fact K = Q(1 ).
We claim that [K : Q] = 4, i.e. that x4 14x2 + 9 is irreducible. One can prove this directly by exploring
the possible factorizations (the factorizations will be of the form (x2 + ax 3)(x2 ax 3) or the same
with (3, 3) replaced by (1, 9); now solve for a and show that a is not rational). Here is an alternate method.
Since we know how the polynomial factors in K, and neither 1 nor 2 is rational, a factorization occurs
only if (x + 1 )(x 2 ) has rational coefficients. The constant term is indeed rational (namely, 3), but the
x coefficient is 1 2 , and we calculate
(1 + 2 )2 = 20,

(1 2 )2 = 8,

so in particular neither of 1 2 is rational.

In any case, regardless of which method we chose, we see that the polynomial is irreducible and [K : Q] = 4.
To figure out the structure
of the
one method is to note that by our calculations
Galoisgroup,
above, we

see thatK
contains 20 = 2 5 and 8 = 2 2, and also it clearly contains 12 = 7 + 2 10. Hence
K = Q( 2, 5) is a biquadratic extension with Galois group (Z/2Z) (Z/2Z).
Another way to see this if we did not do the calculation above with (1 2 )2 is to directly write down
the automorphisms. We know that Gal(K/Q) acts transitively on the roots, so the Galois elements are
determined by the possible images of 1 ; we have the identity and the elements:
1 (1 ) = 2 ;

2 (1 ) = 1 ;

3 (1 ) = 2 .

Since 2 = 3/1 , it is easy to compute the action of these automorphisms on 2 :

1 (2 ) = 1 ;
With these formulas it is easy to check that

2 (2 ) = 2 ;
i2

3 (2 ) = 1 .

= 1 for each i = 1, 2, 3. Hence Gal(K/Q) is the Klein 4-group.



17. This is similar to the proof of the next exercise.

18. With notation as in the previous problem define the trace of from K to F to be
X
T rK/F () =
(),

a sum of Galois conjugates of .

(a) Prove that T rK/F () F .
Proof. The sum here is taken as follows. Let L be a Galois extension of F containing K, and
write G = Gal(L/F ). Let H G be the subgroup corresponding to K. Then the sum runs over
representatives for the left cosets of H in G. These are the embeddings of K in L (equivalently,
of K in F ) by the Fundamental Theorem of Galois Theory.
To begin, note that the trace is well-defined, i.e. () depends only on the left H-coset of .
Since H fixes K we see that if H = H, then 1 () = h() = for some h H. Therefore,
() = ().
3

To see that T rK/F () F , let S be a set of coset representatives for H, and notice that if
Gal(L/F ) then S is still a set of coset representatives for H. In other words, the action of G
by left multiplication simply permutes the left H-cosets. It follows that (T rK/F ()) = T rK/F ()
for all Gal(L/F ), and since the only elements fixed by all the automorphisms of L/F are those
in F , we have T rK/F () F .

(b) Prove that T rK/F ( + ) = T rK/F () + T rK/F (), so that the trace is an additive map from K to
F.
Proof. By the definition of trace,
T rK/F ( + ) =

( + )

(() + ())

() +

()

= T rK/F () + T rK/F (),

so the trace map is additive.

(c) Let K = F ( D) be a quadratic extension of F . Show that T rK/F (a + b D) = 2a.

Proof.
The quadratic
extension K/F is a Galois extension with Gal(K/F ) = {1, }, where (a +

b D) = a b D. As such,

T rK/F (a + b D) = a + b D + (a + b D)

=a+b D+ab D
= 2a.

(d) Let m (x) be as in the previous problem. Prove that T rK/F () = nd ad1 .
Proof. Begin by noticing that
Y
X
(x ()) = xn (
())xn1 +

= xn T rK/F ()xn1 + .
Also,
n

(m (x)) d = (xd + ad1 xd1 + + a0 ) d

n
n
= xn + ad1 xn1 + + a0d .
d
Q
n
In the following problem we prove that (x ()) = (m (x)) d , so equating the two xn1 terms
gives the desired result.

20. With notation as in the previous problems (beginning with 17) show more generally that
n
(m (x)) d .

(x ())

Q
Proof. Let f (x) = (x ()). Let H 0 G be the subgroup corresponding to F (), and observe that it
follows from F F () K that H H 0 . We have the following diagram of fields, with certain extensions
labelled by their Galois groups:
4

L
H
H0

F ()

F
Now we claim that
m (x) =

(x ()),

H0

where the product runs over the left cosets of H 0 in G. Indeed, it is clear that is a root of the product
on the right (taking = 1), and that this product is in F [x] by the argument of #19 part (a). Since
deg m = [F () : F ] = [G : H 0 ], we have
Qthe desired equality.
Lets return to the product f (x) = (x ()), with the product running over all left H-cosets. We
have that
() = () 1 H 0 H 0 = H 0 .
Since H H 0 , each left H 0 -coset is a disjoint union of left H-cosets. The number of H-cosets in this disjoint
union is
[H 0 : H] = [G : H]/[G : H 0 ] = n/d,
where n = [K : F ] and d = [F () : F ] = deg m .
Therefore, in the product defining f (x), each distinct root () is repeated nd times, and hence f (x) =
n

(m (x)) d as desired.
References
[1] Dummit and Foote, Abstract Algebra, Third Algebra.