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15 (1997), 57-62
1. In tr o d u c tio n
It is well known that a prim itive n-th root o f unity, satisfies the
equation
ж” - 1 = 0 . (1)
In this work we study the minimal polynomials o f the real part of ( , i.e.
of cos ( 2 n / n ) , over the rationale. This number also plays an important
role in some geometrical calculations with 3-dimensional solid figures
and in the theory o f regular star polygons. W e use a paper o f Watkin
and Zeitlin ([2]) to produce further results. In the calculations, we use
another class o f polynomials called Chebysheff polynomials. They are
recalled here and form the subject o f section 2. B y means o f them
we obtain several cerurrence formulae for the minimal polynomials of
cos (27r/n).
2. C h e b y s h e ff p o ly n o m ia ls
E x a m p le 1
hence
T 7( x ) = 6 4 x 7 — 112a:5 + 56a:3 — 7x. (4)
В Д = 1,
В Д .. X,
T 2(x ) = 2 z2 — 1,
а д = 4x3 — 3x,
а д = 8a:4 — 8x2 + 1,
T 5( x ) = 16a:5 — 20x3 + 5.г,
T e (x ) = 32x6 — 48a:4 + 18a:2 — 1,
T 7( x ) = 64a:7 - 112a:5 + 56a:3 - 7x
L e m m a 1 Let n G N. Then
Lem m a 2
3. T h e m in im a l p o ly n o m ia ls o f cos(27rf n ) o v e r Q
For n 6 N, we denote the minimal polynomial o f cos(27r/n) over
Q by Ф „ (х ). Then Watkins and Zeitlin ([2 ]) used the Galois theory to
show the following:
Г п+1( х ) - Г п(х ) = 2П - П а д (9 )
d\m
i f m is odd and
( 10)
d\m
i f m is even.
iTr , л T n+1( x ) - T n( x )
Wm X) = : .
K ’ 2 "(x — 1)
( c ) //4|m, then
T n+i ( x ) - i(æ )
Ф ш (х) =
2” /2 ■ ( ? § + l ( x ) - T f _ ! ( x ) ) ■rid|m,^m,d/f
ф / X_ r n+i ( x ) - r n_ i ( x ) ______________
2 n-n' . (Г п.+1(х ) - Tn- (x )) • rid|m,d5ém,2|d ’M * ) ’
where
. m/2 — 1
П = — 2— *
ф (x ) — T n+ i ( x ) - ?n(x)
’ 2n~n' • (T n/+1(x ) — T „ / (x ))’
where
/ m/p- 1
7/p2|m, i/ien
r n+i ( x ) - Г „ (х )
Ф щ (х)
2 "- "' • (T n/+ i ( x ) - Tn» (x )) Фр(х ) ’
where
t rn/p - 1
n = ----------- .
T he m in im a l po lyno m ials .61
ф1<» = - T° ( x )) = x - l .
Similarly for m = 2, = x + 1.
( b ) Let m be an odd prime. Then n — and by Lemm a 4 (9),
Tn+1(x ) — T „ (x ) = 2" • Ф ^э:) ■ Фт (:г) and the result follows.
The proofs o f (c ), (d ) and (e ) are similar. Hence we shall prove (d )
only. Let m be even and m/2 be odd. By Lemma 4
T n+ i ( x ) — Tn( x ) = 2” • JJ Ф ^(х)
d\m
m/2 — 1
n
2
Now
П Ф^(ж) = Фт (а:) • П
d\m, d ^ m , 2|d
E x a m p le 2 (a)
■( в д - в д ) ■ п «M*)
d\lO,d.^lO,2\d
REFERENCES
U n iv e r s it y of U ludag
D E P A R T M E N T OF MATHEMATICS
Bursa 16059
Turkey