Glossary of eld theory

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Field theory is the branch of mathematics in which elds are studied. This is a glossary of some terms of the subject.
(See eld theory (physics) for the unrelated eld theories in physics.)

1 Denition of a eld
A eld is a commutative ring (F,+,*) in which 01 and every nonzero element has a multiplicative inverse. In a eld
we thus can perform the operations addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
The non-zero elements of a eld F form an abelian group under multiplication; this group is typically denoted by F ;
The ring of polynomials in the variable x with coecients in F is denoted by F[x].

2 Basic denitions
Characteristic The characteristic of the eld F is the smallest positive integer n such that n1 = 0; here n1 stands
for n summands 1 + 1 + 1 + ... + 1. If no such n exists, we say the characteristic is zero. Every non-zero
characteristic is a prime number. For example, the rational numbers, the real numbers and the p-adic numbers
have characteristic 0, while the nite eld Zp has characteristic p.

Subeld A subeld of a eld F is a subset of F which is closed under the eld operation + and * of F and which,
with these operations, forms itself a eld.

Prime eld The prime eld of the eld F is the unique smallest subeld of F.

Extension eld If F is a subeld of E then E is an extension eld of F. We then also say that E/F is a eld extension.

Degree of an extension Given an extension E/F, the eld E can be considered as a vector space over the eld F,
and the dimension of this vector space is the degree of the extension, denoted by [E : F].

Finite extension A nite extension is a eld extension whose degree is nite.

Algebraic extension If an element of an extension eld E over F is the root of a non-zero polynomial in F[x],
then is algebraic over F. If every element of E is algebraic over F, then E/F is an algebraic extension.

Generating set Given a eld extension E/F and a subset S of E, we write F(S) for the smallest subeld of E that
contains both F and S. It consists of all the elements of E that can be obtained by repeatedly using the operations
+,,*,/ on the elements of F and S. If E = F(S) we say that E is generated by S over F.

Primitive element An element of an extension eld E over a eld F is called a primitive element if E=F(), the
smallest extension eld containing . Such an extension is called a simple extension.

Splitting eld A eld extension generated by the complete factorisation of a polynomial.

1
2 4 TYPES OF FIELDS

Normal extension A eld extension generated by the complete factorisation of a set of polynomials.

Separable extension An extension generated by roots of separable polynomials.

Perfect eld A eld such that every nite extension is separable. All elds of characteristic zero, and all nite elds,
are perfect.

Imperfect degree Let F be a eld of characteristic p>0; then F p is a subeld. The degree [F:F p ] is called the
imperfect degree of F. The eld F is perfect if and only if its imperfect degree is 1. For example, if F is a
function eld of n variables over a nite eld of characteristic p>0, then its imperfect degree is pn .[1]

Algebraically closed eld A eld F is algebraically closed if every polynomial in F[x] has a root in F; equivalently:
every polynomial in F[x] is a product of linear factors.

Algebraic closure An algebraic closure of a eld F is an algebraic extension of F which is algebraically closed.
Every eld has an algebraic closure, and it is unique up to an isomorphism that xes F.

Transcendental Those elements of an extension eld of F that are not algebraic over F are transcendental over F.

Algebraically independent elements Elements of an extension eld of F are algebraically independent over F if
they don't satisfy any non-zero polynomial equation with coecients in F.

Transcendence degree The number of algebraically independent transcendental elements in a eld extension. It is
used to dene the dimension of an algebraic variety.

3 Homomorphisms
Field homomorphism A eld homomorphism between two elds E and F is a function
f: EF
such that, for all x, y in E,
f(x + y) = f(x) + f(y)
f(xy) = f(x) f(y)
f(1) = 1.
These properties imply that f(0) = 0, f(x1 ) = f(x)1 for x in E with x 0, and that f is injective. Fields, together with
these homomorphisms, form a category. Two elds E and F are called isomorphic if there exists a bijective
homomorphism
f : E F.
The two elds are then identical for all practical purposes; however, not necessarily in a unique way. See, for
example, complex conjugation.

4 Types of elds
Finite eld A eld with nitely many elements.

Ordered eld A eld with a total order compatible with its operations.

Rational numbers

Real numbers
 3

Complex numbers

Number eld Finite extension of the eld of rational numbers.

Algebraic numbers The eld of algebraic numbers is the smallest algebraically closed extension of the eld of
rational numbers. Their detailed properties are studied in algebraic number theory.

Quadratic eld A degree-two extension of the rational numbers.

Cyclotomic eld An extension of the rational numbers generated by a root of unity.

Totally real eld A number eld generated by a root of a polynomial, having all its roots real numbers.

Formally real eld

Real closed eld

Global eld A number eld or a function eld of one variable over a nite eld.

Local eld A completion of some global eld (w.r.t. a prime of the integer ring).

Complete eld A eld complete w.r.t. to some valuation.

Pseudo algebraically closed eld A eld in which every variety has a rational point.[2]

Henselian eld A eld satisfying Hensel lemma w.r.t. some valuation. A generalization of complete elds.

Hilbertian eld A eld satisfying Hilberts irreducibility theorem: formally, one for which the projective line is not
thin in the sense of Serre.[3][4]

Kroneckerian eld A totally real algebraic number eld or a totally imaginary quadratic extension of a totally real
eld.[5]

CM-eld or J-eld An algebraic number eld which is a totally imaginary quadratic extension of a totally real
eld.[6]

Linked eld A eld over which no biquaternion algebra is a division algebra.[7]

Frobenius eld A pseudo algebraically closed eld whose absolute Galois group has the embedding property.[8]

5 Field extensions
Let E / F be a eld extension.

Algebraic extension An extension in which every element of E is algebraic over F.

Simple extension An extension which is generated by a single element, called a primitive element, or generating
element.[9] The primitive element theorem classies such extensions.[10]

Normal extension An extension that splits a family of polynomials: every root of the minimal polynomial of an
element of E over F is also in E.
4 6 GALOIS THEORY

Separable extension An algebraic extension in which the minimal polynomial of every element of E over F is a
separable polynomial, that is, has distinct roots.[11]

Galois extension A normal, separable eld extension.

Primary extension An extension E/F such that the algebraic closure of F in E is purely inseparable over F; equiv-
alently, E is linearly disjoint from the separable closure of F.[12]

Purely transcendental extension An extension E/F in which every element of E not in F is transcendental over
F.[13][14]

Regular extension An extension E/F such that E is separable over F and F is algebraically closed in E.[12]

Simple radical extension A simple extension E/F generated by a single element satisfying n = b for an element
b of F. In characteristic p, we also take an extension by a root of an ArtinSchreier polynomial to be a simple
radical extension.[15]

Radical extension A tower F = F0 < F1 < < Fk = E where each extension Fi /Fi1 is a simple radical
extension.[15]

Self-regular extension An extension E/F such that EFE is an integral domain.[16]

Totally transcendental extension An extension E/F such that F is algebraically closed in F.[14]

Distinguished class A class C of eld extensions with the three properties[17]

1. If E is a C-extension of F and F is a C-extension of K then E is a C-extension of K.

2. If E and F are C-extensions of K in a common overeld M, then the compositum EF is a C-extension of
K.
3. If E is a C-extension of F and E>K>F then E is a C-extension of K.

6 Galois theory

Galois extension A normal, separable eld extension.

Galois group The automorphism group of a Galois extension. When it is a nite extension, this is a nite group of
order equal to the degree of the extension. Galois groups for innite extensions are pronite groups.

Kummer theory The Galois theory of taking n-th roots, given enough roots of unity. It includes the general theory
of quadratic extensions.

ArtinSchreier theory Covers an exceptional case of Kummer theory, in characteristic p.

Normal basis A basis in the vector space sense of L over K, on which the Galois group of L over K acts transitively.

Tensor product of elds A dierent foundational piece of algebra, including the compositum operation (join of
elds).
 5

7 Extensions of Galois theory

Inverse problem of Galois theory Given a group G, nd an extension of the rational number or other eld with G
as Galois group.

Dierential Galois theory The subject in which symmetry groups of dierential equations are studied along the
lines traditional in Galois theory. This is actually an old idea, and one of the motivations when Sophus Lie
founded the theory of Lie groups. It has not, probably, reached denitive form.

Grothendiecks Galois theory A very abstract approach from algebraic geometry, introduced to study the analogue
of the fundamental group.

8 References
[1] Fried & Jarden (2008) p.45

[2] Fried & Jarden (2008) p.214

[3] Serre (1992) p.19

[4] Schinzel (2000) p.298

[5] Schinzel (2000) p.5

[6] Washington, Lawrence C. (1996). Introduction to Cyclotomic elds (2nd ed.). New York: Springer-Verlag. ISBN 0-387-
94762-0. Zbl 0966.11047.

[7] Lam (2005) p.342

[8] Fried & Jarden (2008) p.564

[9] Roman (2007) p.46

[10] Lang (2002) p.243

[11] Fried & Jarden (2008) p.28

[12] Fried & Jarden (2008) p.44

[13] Roman (2007) p.102

[14] Isaacs, I. Martin (1994). Algebra: A Graduate Course. Graduate studies in mathematics. 100. American Mathematical
Society. p. 389. ISBN 0-8218-4799-6. ISSN 1065-7339.

[15] Roman (2007) p.273

[16] Cohn, P. M. (2003). Basic Algebra. Groups, Rings, and Fields. Springer-Verlag. p. 427. ISBN 1-85233-587-4. Zbl
1003.00001.

[17] Lang (2002) p.228

Adamson, Iain T. (1982). Introduction to Field Theory (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-
28658-1.

Fried, Michael D.; Jarden, Moshe (2008). Field arithmetic. Ergebnisse der Mathematik und ihrer Grenzgebiete.
3. Folge. 11 (3rd revised ed.). Springer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-540-77269-9. Zbl 1145.12001.

Lam, Tsit-Yuen (2005). Introduction to Quadratic Forms over Fields. Graduate Studies in Mathematics. 67.
American Mathematical Society. ISBN 0-8218-1095-2. MR 2104929. Zbl 1068.11023.

Lang, Serge (1997). Survey of Diophantine Geometry. Springer-Verlag. ISBN 3-540-61223-8. Zbl 0869.11051.

Lang, Serge (2002), Algebra, Graduate Texts in Mathematics, 211 (Revised third ed.), New York: Springer-
Verlag, ISBN 978-0-387-95385-4, MR 1878556, Zbl 0984.00001
6 8 REFERENCES

Roman, Steven (2007). Field Theory. Graduate Texts in Mathematics. 158. Springer-Verlag. ISBN 0-387-
27678-5.
Serre, Jean-Pierre (1989). Lectures on the Mordell-Weil Theorem. Aspects of Mathematics. E15. Translated
and edited by Martin Brown from notes by Michel Waldschmidt. Braunschweig etc.: Friedr. Vieweg & Sohn.
Zbl 0676.14005.

Serre, Jean-Pierre (1992). Topics in Galois Theory. Research Notes in Mathematics. 1. Jones and Bartlett.
ISBN 0-86720-210-6. Zbl 0746.12001.

Schinzel, Andrzej (2000). Polynomials with special regard to reducibility. Encyclopedia of Mathematics and
Its Applications. 77. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-66225-7. Zbl 0956.12001.
 7

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