MATH 594, WINTER 2006, PROBLEM SET 9

NOT TO BE HANDED IN

Warm-up [DF], 14.4, exercises 1,2, 14.5, exercises 7,10, 14.6, exercises 2,4,5. Cool-down Exercise 1. Do [DF], 14.4, exercise 4. Solution. The composite KL/F is Galois, let G := Gal(KL/F ) be the Galois group. Since Gal(L/F ) acts transitively on the roots of f (x), so does G. The group H = Gal(KL/K) is normal in G. Let be a root of f (x). Then [Q()/Q] is exactly the cardinality of O() := {() | H} because these correspond to the distinct embeddings of K() KL. If G then O( ()) = { () | H} = ({ () | 1 H}) = (O()) (using that H is normal in G). This shows that the irreducible factor of f (x) which has as root has the same degree as the irreducible factor which has () as a root. Both have degree d = [K() : K]. Exercise 2. Do [DF], 14.5, exercise 11. Solution. Suppose that n = ab with (a, b) = 1. The primitive n-th roots of unity are exactly all where is a primitive a-th root of unity and is a primitive b-th root of unity. If the primitive a-th root of unity span Q(a ) and the primitive b-th root of unity span Q(b ), then the primitive n-th root of unity span Q(a )Q(b ) = Q(n ). Similary, if the primitive a-th roots of unity are linearly dependent, or the primitive b-th roots of unity are linearly dependent over Q, then clearly the primitive n-th roots of unity are linearly dependent over Q. This shows that in order to prove the exercise for n, we only need to prove it for a and b. So it suces to show the exercise for prime powers n. 2 p2 Suppose that n = pr . If r = 1, then 1, p , p , . . . , p are linearly independent over Q, because the minimum polynomial p has degree p 1. Multiplying with
1

NOT TO BE HANDED IN

2 p1 p shows that the primitive p-th roots of unity, p , p , . . . , p are linearly independent over Q. So they form a basis since [Q(p ) : Q] = p 1. If r > 1, then i the primitive pr -th roots of unity are pr with 0 < i < pr and (i, p) = 1. But p 2 p1 0 = 1 + p + p + + p = 1 + pr
r1

2p + pr

r1

+ + pr .

(p1)pr1

and multiplying with pr gives:

p 0 = pr + pr
r1 +1

2p + pr

r1 +1

+ + pr

(p1)pr1 +1

This shows that the primitive pr -th roots of unity are linearly dependent for r > 1. Exercise 3. Do [DF], 14.6, exercise 6. Solution. Follow the method in the book. Substitute x x/4 and multiply by 4 : x4 + 12x3 192x 512. Then substitute x x 3 to get rid of the coecient of x3 : x4 54x2 + 24x 179. The resolvent cubic is
4

x3 + 108x2 + 3632x + 576. We can simplify this by the substitution x 4x and dividing by 43 : x3 + 27x2 + 227x + 9 Now substitute x x 3. x3 16x 576 Substitute x 4x and divide by 43 to simplify: x3 x 9. Now this equation is irreducible modulo 2, hence irreducible. The discriminant is 4(1)3 27(9)2 < 0 which is clearly not a square. So the Galois group of the resolvent equation is S3 . The Galois group of the original equation must be S4 . Exercise 4. Do [DF], 14.6, exercise 7. Solution. S4 Exercise 5. Do [DF], 14.6, exercise 8. Solution. A4 . Final-Exam Thursday, April 20, 1:30-3:30pm, 3088EH. The exam will only be on Galois and Field theory. Harm Derksen, 3067EH, 763 2309 Oce hours: MWF 3-4pm. http://www.math.lsa.umich.edu/~hderksen/math594.w06/index.html