MATH 403: Homework Chapter 17 Proof Solutions

3. Show that each of the following are irreducible/Q.

(a) x5 + 9x4 + 12x2 + 6

Proof: Eisenstein’s Criterion with p = 3 does the job.
(b) x3 − 3x + 3
Proof: If f (x) = x3 − 3x + 2 then reduction mod p = 2 yields f¯(x) = x3 + x + 1 ∈ Z2 [x].
Since this is degree 3 it’s irreducible over Z2 iff it has no roots and testing x = 0, 1 tells
us it doesn’t. The Mod-p Test then tells us that f (x) is irreducible over Q.
Note: Eisenstein works here too, with p = 3.
(d) x3 + 2x2 + 4x + 1
Proof: If f (x) = x3 +2x2 +4x+1 then reduction mod p = 3 yields f¯(x) = x3 +2x2 +x+1 ∈
Z3 [x]. Since this is degree 3 it’s irreducible over Z3 iff it has no roots and testing x = 0, 1, 2
tells us it doesn’t. The Mod-p Test then tells us that f (x) is irreducible over Q. Note
that p = 2 does not work here.
(e) x3 + 3x2 + 2
Proof: If f (x) = x3 + 3x2 + 2 then reduction mod p = 5 yields f¯(x) = x3 + 3x2 + 2.
Since this is degree 3 it’s irreducible over Z5 iff it has no roots and testing x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4
tells us it doesn’t. The Mod-p Test then tells us that f (x) is irreducible over Q. Note
that p = 2, 3 do not work here.
(f) x5 + 5x2 + 1
Proof: If f (x) = x5 +5x2 +1 then reduction mod p = 2 yields f¯(x) = x5 +x2 +1 ∈ Z2 [x].
No roots in Z2 tells us there are no linear terms but this may factor into a degree 2 term
and a degree 3 term. Let’s check all possible degree 2 terms which don’t factor themselves.
There is only x2 + x + 1 long division shows us that does not factor into f¯(x).
Therefore f¯(x) is irreducible over Z2 and the Mod-p Test then tells us that f (x) is
irreducible over Q.

4. Let p be prime. Determine the number of polynomials of the form x2 + ax + b which are
irreducible over Zp .
Proof: Observe that there are p2 polynomials of the form x2 + ax + b in Zp since there are p
choices for each of a and b.
Now then, a polynomial which is reducible over Zp may be rewritten in the form (x − c)(x − d),
where c and d are the roots. So how many of these are there? Well, there are p choices if c = d
and if c 6= d then there are p(p−1)
2 choices; the division by 2 eliminates repeated pairs.
 
Therefore there are p2 − p + p(p−1)
2 polynomials irreducible over Zp .

2
7. Show that for every prime p there exists
 a field of order p .
Proof: We know that there are p2 − p + 2 p(p−1)
polynomials of the form x2 + ax + b which
2

2 
are irreducible over Zp . Pick any one, denote

2it x + ax +  b. Then Z p [x]/ x + ax + b is a
′ ′
field of with elements of the form αx + β + x + a x + b with α, β ∈ Zp . Since there are p
choices for each of α, β there are p2 elements.