LECTURE 4 : MORE ON SPLITTING FIELDS

In the last lecture, we learned that splitting fields exist over k for
any collection of polynomials from k[t]. Today we will see that any two
splitting fields are isomorphic. Once again we will see a proof only in
the case when the collection of polynomials we have is finite, which can
be reduced to the case of a single polynomial.
Proposition 1. Let us suppose we have an isomorphism of fields
0
φ:k→k
0 0
Let k ⊂ L be a splitting field of a polynomial f ∈ k[t] and k ⊂ L be
0 0
a splitting field for f = φ(f ) (i.e f is obtained by applying φ to the
coefficients of f ). Then we have an isomorphism
0
ϕ:L→L
such that
ϕ |k = φ.
The proof will utilize the following Lemma
0
Lemma 1. Let φ : k → k be an isomorphism of fields. Suppose
0
f ∈ k[t] is irreducible and f = φ(f ). If α is a root of f in some
0 0 0
extension k ⊂ K and β is a root of f in some extension k ⊂ K , then
there exists an isomorphism
0
ϕ : k(α) → k (β), ϕ(α) = β, ϕ |k = φ
Proof. The proof follows from combining the isomorphisms
k[t]
q1 : → k(α)
hf i
and 0
k [t] 0
q2 : 0 → k (β)
hf i
with φ, i.e
ϕ := q2 ◦ φ ◦ q1−1

Proof of Proposition 1. Let f0 be an irreducible factor of f with degree
0 0
atleast 2. Then we have f0 := φ(f ) is an irrducible factor of f . Let α
1
2 LECTURE 4 : MORE ON SPLITTING FIELDS
0 0
be a root of f0 in K and β a root of f0 in K . From Lemma 1, we can
extend the isomorphism φ to an isomorphism
0
ψ : k(α) → k (β)
which extends φ and ψ(α) = β. Now note that if we consider f and
0 0
f as polynomials over k(α) and k(β), then L and L are respectively
0
splitting fields of f and f over k(α) and k(β) respectively. But we
have
[L : k(α)] < [L : k]
Thus we can complete the proof by inducting on the degree of the
splitting field. 
Let us state without proof the following
Proposition 2. The statement of Proposition 1 holds true even in the
case of arbitrary family of polynomials {fi }i∈I .
We would now like to understand if we can characterize those ex-
tensions of k which are splitting fields. To begin with let us prove the
following using ideas we have already seen
Lemma 2. Let k ⊂ K be a splitting field of some polynomial f ∈ k[t].
Consider a subfield k ⊂ L ⊂ K. If Ω is an algebraically closed field
containing k, then any k-homomorphism
µ:L→Ω
can be extended to a k-homomorphism
µ̃ : K → Ω
Proof. Note that if we think of f a a polynomial over L, then K is the
0 0
splitting field of f over L as well. Now let L = µ(L) and K be the
0
subfield generated by roots of f over L . Then from Proposition 1, we
get an isomorphism
0
ϕ:K→K
which extends µ and thus we are done. 
Corollary 1. If h ∈ k[t] is an irreducible polyomial, which has a root
in K, then h splits in K[t].
Proof. Let Ω = K. Now let α be a root of h in K and β be any other
root of h in K. Then from Lemma 1, we can get an isomorphism
µ : k(α) → k(β), µ |k = Idk
From Lemma 2, we can extend µ to a homomorphism
µ̃ : K → K
 LECTURE 4 : MORE ON SPLITTING FIELDS 3

Since K is generated over k by roots of f , so does µ̃(K). But then we

must have µ̃(K) = K. Thus we must have β ∈ K. Thus in particular
all the roots of h in K infact lies in K and hence h splits in K[t]. 
Lemma 3. Conversely an algebraic field extension k ⊂ K is a splitting
field if K has the property that any irreducible polynomial that has a
root in K splits in K.
Proof. clear