CCM326, Galois Theory May 2019 Exam Solutions

√
A1. Let α denote the complex number i 4 3, and let K = Q(α).
a) Find the minimal polynomial of α over Q.
Solution: Since α4 = 3, α is a root of X 4 − 3 ∈ Q[X], which is
irreducible by Eisenstein’s Criterion (with p = 3). Therefore the
minimal polynomial of α over Q is X 4 − 3.
√
b) Find the minimal polynomial
√ of α over Q( 3). √
Solution: Since α2 = − 3, α is a root of √ X 2 + 3, the other root
−α. Since neither root
being √ √ is real and Q( 3) ⊂ R, the polynomial
X 2 + 3 has no roots in Q( 3), and is therefore irreducible (since
√ it
is quadratic).
√ Therefore the minimal polynomial of α over Q( 3) is
X 2 + 3.
c) Describe all Q-embeddings from K to R.
Solution: By Artin’s Extension Theorem, the (Q-)embeddings from
K√to R are given by sending α to a root of X 4 − 3 in R, namely
± 4 3. Therefore
√ there are two embeddings
√ K → R; one determined
by α 7→ 4 3, the other by α 7→ − 4 3.
d) Describe all Q-automorphisms of K.
Solution: The (Q-)automorphisms of K are just the embeddings
from K to itself, so by Artin’s Extension Theorem again, these are
given by sending α to the roots of X 4√− 3 in K, which are ±α. (Note
that the other roots of X 4 − 3 are ±
√
4
3, which are not in K; indeed
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if either were, this would imply Q( 3) ⊂ K, and since
√
[K : Q] = [Q( 6) : Q] = deg(X 4 − 3) = 4,
4

√
the Tower Law implies that K = Q( 4 3), contradicting α 6∈ R.)
Therefore there are two automorphisms of K; one is the identity and
the other is determined by α 7→ −α.
A2. For each of the following polynomials f in Q[X], determine the structure
of the Galois group Gal(Lf /Q), where Lf is a splitting field of f over Q.

a) f (X) = X 3 − 3X;
Solution:
√ Since f (X) = X(X 2 − 3), the splitting field is Lf =
Q( 3). Since [Lf : Q] = 2, the Galois group is isomorphic to Z/2Z.
b) f (X) = X 3 − 3X + 1;
Solution: By results from lecture, the only possible roots are ±1,
but f (−1) = 3 and f (1) = −1. Since f is cubic and has no roots, it
must be irreducible. The discriminant of f is −4(−3)3 − 27 · 12 = 81,
which is a square in Q, so Gal(Lf /Q) is isomorphic to A3 (or Z/3Z).

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 c) f (X) = X 4 − 9.
Solution: The polynomial factors as
√ √ √ √
(X 2 − 3)(X 2 + 3) = (X − 3)(X + 3)(X − i 3)(X + i 3),
√ √ √
so the splitting field is Lf = Q( 3, i 3) = Q( 3, i). Note that
√ √
Q ⊂ Q( 3) ⊂ Q( 3, i) = Lf
√ √
and [Q( 3) : Q] = [Lf : Q 3] = 2, so [Lf : Q] = 4 by the Tower
Law. Therefore Gal(L/Q)
√ is isomorphic
√ to either Z/4Z or (Z/2Z)2 .
Since E = Q(i), Q( 3) and Q(i 3) are all intermediate fields with
[E : Q] = 2, it follows from the Fundamental Theorem of Galois
Theory that Gal(L/Q) has at least 3 subgroups of index 2, so must
be isomorphic to (Z/2Z)2 .

A3. Suppose that K ⊂ L is a field extension.

a) State what it means for a polynomial f ∈ K[X] to be separable.
Solution: A polynomial f of degree d is separable it it has d distinct
roots in its splitting field over K.
b) State what it means for an element α ∈ L to be separable over K.
Solution: α is separable over K if it is algebraic over K and its
minimal polynomial over K is separable.
c) State what it means for the extension L to be separable over K.
Solution: L is separable over K if every element of L is separable
over K.
d) Give an example of a finite extension of fields which is not separable.
(You do not need to prove that it is not separable.)
Solution: Let K = (Z/pZ)(X p ) and L = (Z/pZ)(X).
A4. Let K ⊂ L be a finite extension of fields.
a) Suppose that a monic polynomial f ∈ K[X] splits completely over L,
so that f (X) = (X−α1 )(X−α2 ) · · · (X−αd ) for some α1 , α2 , . . . , αd ∈
L. Prove that if 1 ≤ i ≤ d − 1, then

[K(α1 , α2 , . . . , αi+1 ) : K(α1 , α2 , . . . , αi )] ≤ d − i.

Solution: Let Li = K(α1 , . . . , αi ). The f factors in Li [X] as

f (X) = (X − α1 ) · · · (X − αi )g(X)

for some g of degree d − i, and αi+1 is a root of g. Therefore the

minimal polynomial mαi+1 ,Li divides g, so

[Li+1 : Li ] = [Li (αi+1 ) : Li ] = deg(mαi+1 ,Li ) ≤ deg(g) = d − i.

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 b) Suppose that L = K(α) for some α ∈ L, and let n = [L : K]. Prove
that there is an extension M of L such that M is normal over K and
[M : K] ≤ n!.
Solution: Let f be the minimal polynomial of α over K, so f is
monic of degree n = [L : K]. Let M be a splitting field of f over L,
so
M = L(α, α2 , · · · , αn ) = K(α, α2 , . . . , αn )
where α, α2 , . . . , αn are the roots of f . Therefore M is also a splitting
field for f over K, so by a result from lectures, M is normal over K.
Considering the tower of extensions

K ⊂ L = K(α) ⊂ K(α, α2 ) ⊂ · · · ⊂ K(α, α2 , . . . , αn ) = M

and applying the result from part (a) and the Tower Law gives

[M : K] = [K(α) : K] · · · [M : K(α, · · · , αn−1 )] ≤ n(n−1) · · · 2·1 = n!

A5. Let K denote the field Z/2Z. Let f ∈ K[X] be an irreducible polynomial
of degree 2, and let g ∈ K[X] be an irreducible polynomial of degree 3.
a) Give an example of such a polynomial f , and of such a polynomial
g.
Solution: Let f (X) = X 2 + X + 1 and g(X) = X 3 + X + 1. Then
neither f nor g has a root in K, so being of degrees 2 and 3, must
be irreducible.
b) Let h = f g (the product of f and g in K[X]), and let L be a splitting
field of h over K. Determine the number of elements in L, and the
structure of the group Gal(L/K).
Solution: According to results from lecture, every extension of finite
fields is Galois with cyclic Galois group. Let E = K(α) and F =
K(β) where α ∈ L is root of f and β ∈ L is a root of g. Since E and F
are Galois over K, f splits completely over E and g splits completely
over F , so h = f g splits completely over K(α, β). Therefore L =
K(α, β). Since [E : K] = 2 and [F : K] = 3, the Tower Law implies
that [L : K] is divisible by both 2 and 3. On the other hand L = E(β),
so [L : E] ≤ 3, and the Tower Law implies [L : K] ≤ 6. Therefore
[L : K] = 6, so L has 26 = 64 elements and Gal(L/K) is isomorphic
to Z/6Z.
c) Let L be as in part (b), and let α be a root of f and let β be a root
of g. Determine the order of the element αβ in the multiplicative
group L× .
Solution: With notation as in the solution to (b), α ∈ E × , which is
a group of order 3, and α 6= 1, so α has order 3. Similarly β ∈ F × ,
so β has order 7. Since 3 and 7 are relatively prime, it follows that
αβ has order 21.

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B6. a) State the Fundamental Theorem of Galois Theory for extensions of
finite degree. (You do not need to define what it means for an exten-
sion to be Galois.)
Solution: Let K ⊂ L be a finite Galois extension of fields, and let
G = Gal(L/K). Then
i) The maps E 7→ Gal(L/E) and H 7→ LH define mutually inverse,
inclusion-reversing bijections:
   
intermediate fields E,
←→ subgroups H of G .
K⊂E⊂L

ii) An intermediate field E, K ⊂ E ⊂ L, is Galois over K if and only

if the corresponding subgroup H = Gal(L/E) is normal in G, in
which case the restriction map σ 7→ σ|E induces an isomorphism
of groups
∼
G/H −→ Gal(E/K).
b) Let L be a splitting field over Q of the polynomial f (X) = X 3 +
3X 2 + 3. Show that Gal(L/Q) is isomorphic to S3 .
Solution: First note that f is irreducible by Eisenstein’s Criterion
with p = 3. Therefore Gal(L/Q) is isomorphic to A3 or S3 accord-
ing to whether or not the discriminant of f is a square in Q. The
discriminant of f is the same as that of

f (X − 1) = (X − 1)3 + 3(X − 1)2 + 3 = X 3 − 3X + 5,

to which we can apply the formula

∆ = −4a3 − 27b2 = −4(−3)3 − 27(5)2 = −21 · 27 = −7 · 34 .

Since this is not a square, the Galois group is isomorphic to S3 .

(Alternatively, argue that f has only one real root, so the Galois
group has an element of order 2 which fixes it and exchanges the two
complex conjugate roots.
c) Let L be as above in (b). For each divisor d of [L : Q], determine the
number of subfields E ⊂ L such that [E : Q] = d.
Solution: Note that if E is a subfield of L, then Q ⊂ E and [E :
Q][L : E] = [L : Q] = 6 (the order of Gal(L/Q) ∼ = S3 ). By the
Fundamental Theorem of Galois Theory, the subfields E ⊂ L such
that [E : Q] = d, or equivalently [L : E] = 6/d, are in bijection with
the subgroups H ⊂ S3 of order 6/d. The subgroups of S3 are

{e}, {e, (12)}, {e, (13)}, {e, (23)}, {e, (123), (132)} and S3 ,

so there is one field with d = 6, three with d = 3, one with d = 2 and

one with d = 1.

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 d) Let L be as above in (b). Show that if E is a subfield of L and E is
Galois over Q, then E is either Q, L or Q(α) where α2 = −7.
Solution: By the Fundamental Theorem of Galois Theory E is Ga-
lois over Q if and only if the corresponding subgroup of S3 is normal.
The only normal subgroups are

{e}, {e, (123), (132)} and S3 ,

and these correspond to the fields with d = 1, 2 and 6. For d = 1,

the corresponding field is Q and for d = 6, it is L. By results from
lecture, we know that the quadratic extension is Q(δ) where δ 2 = ∆
is the discriminant of f . From the solution to part (b), we know that
∆ = −7 · 34 , so Q(δ) = Q(α) where α = δ/9 satisfies α2 = −7.
B7. Let K ⊂ L be a finite extension of fields of characteristic 0.
a) State what it means for the extension L to be radical over K, and
for the extension L to be solvable by radicals over K.
Solution: We say that L is radical over K if L = K(α) for some
α ∈ L such that αn ∈ K for some integer n ≥ 1.
We say that L is solvable by radicals over K if there is a chain of
extensions:
K = L0 ⊂ L1 ⊂ L2 ⊂ · · · ⊂ Lm
such that L ⊂ Lm , and for each k = 1, . . . , m, Lk is radical over Lk−1
for k = 1, 2, . . . , m.
b) State what it means for a finite group to be solvable, and for the
extension L to be solvable over K.
Solution: A group G is solvable if there is a chain of subgroups:

{e} = H0 ⊂ H1 ⊂ H2 ⊂ · · · ⊂ Hm = G

such that for each k = 1, . . . , m, Hk−1 is a normal subgroup of Hk ,

and Hk /Hk−1 is a cyclic group.
The extension L is solvable over K if there is a finite extension M of
L such M is Galois over K and Gal(M/K) is a solvable group.
c) Prove that if α is a root of the polynomial X 10 − 5X 5 + 3, then Q(α)
is solvable over Q.
5 2 10 5
Solution: Letting
√ β = α , we √ have β − 5β + 3 = α − 5α + 3 = 0,
so β = (5 ± 13)/2 ∈ Q( 13). We therefore have the tower of
extensions √ √
Q ⊂ L1 = Q( 13) ⊂ L2 = Q( 13, α)
showing that Q(α) ⊂ L2 is solvable by radicals over Q. By a theorem
from lectures, it is therefore solvable over Q.
d) Suppose that L is an extension of Q such that [L : Q] = 6 and L is
not solvable by radicals over Q. Prove that if E is a subfield of L,

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then either E = Q or E = L.
Solution: We will suppose for the sake of contradiction that L has a
subfield E other than Q or L. Note that [E : Q] divides [L : Q] = 6.
If [E : Q] = 1, then E = Q, and if [E : Q] = 6, then E = L, so we
must [E : Q] = 2 or 3. By results from lecture, every extension of
degree at most 4 is solvable by radicals, so E is solvable by radicals
over Q. Similarly [L : E] = 3 or 2, so L is solvable by radicals over
E. By results from lecture, it follows that L is solvable by radicals
over Q, contradicting our assumption that it is not.