Assignment I

MODERN ALGEBRA II

February 19, 2019

Prepared By Submitted to
Miliyon Tilahun X Tilahun Abebaw (PhD) X
Instruction: Solve each of the following problems by showing all the
necessary steps.
1. Find the splitting fields of the following polynomials over Q.

a) f (x) = x4 + 1.
b) g(x) = (x2 − 3)(x3 + 1).

Solution:

a) Let us find the zeros of f : x4 + 1 = 0 ⇒ x4 = −1. Then the fourth roots of −1 = −1 + i0 are
given by ! !
θ + 2kπ θ + 2kπ
Zk = cos + i sin ,
4 4
√
where θ = Arg(−1) = π, for k = 0, 1, 2, 3 and k − 1k = 1 ⇒ 4 1 = 1. Then
! !   √ √
π + 2(0)π π + 2(0)π π π 2 2
 
Z0 = cos + i sin = cos + i sin = +i
4 4 4 4 2 2
! ! √ √
π + 2(1)π π + 2(1)π 3π 3π 2 2
   
Z1 = cos + i sin = cos + i sin =− +i
4 4 4 4 2 2
! ! √ √
π + 2(2)π π + 2(2)π 5π 5π 2 2
   
Z2 = cos + i sin = cos + i sin =− −i
4 4 4 4 2 2
! !   √ √
π + 2(3)π π + 2(3)π 7π 7π 2 2
 
Z3 = cos + i sin = cos + i sin = −i
4 4 4 4 2 2
 √ 
Therefore, the splitting field, say E, of f (x) = x4 + 1 ∈ Q[x] is E = Q i, 2 .
√
b) The zeros of g(x) = (x2 − 3)(x3 + 1) are ± 3 and the cube roots of −1.
√
i.e. x3 + 1 = 0 ⇒ x3 = −1 and k−1k = 1 ⇒ 3 1 = 1
! !
θ + 2kπ θ + 2kπ
Zk = cos + i sin ,
3 3
where θ = Arg (−1) = π for k = 0, 1, 2. Then
! ! √
π + 2(0)π π + 2(0)π π π 1 3
   
Z0 = cos + i sin = cos + i sin = +i
3 3 3 3 2 2
! !
π + 2(1)π π + 2(1)π
Z1 = cos + i sin = −1
3 3
! ! √
π + 2(2)π π + 2(2)π 5π 5π 1 3
   
Z2 = cos + i sin = cos + i sin = −i
3 3 3 3 2 2
    √ 
Therefore, the splitting field E, of g(x) = x2 − 3 x3 + 1 ∈ Q[x] is E = Q i, 3 .

√ √  √ 
2. Let E = Q 3, 5 and F = Q 15 .

a) Find the degree of extension of each of the following extensions.

1. E ⊃ Q,
2. E ⊃ F,
3. F ⊃ Q,
b) Find the order of each of the following groups by describing their elements.

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 1. G(E/Q),
2. G(E/F)
3. G(F/Q)

Solution:
√ √  √ 
a) Given E = Q 3, 5 and F = Q 15

1. E ⊃ Q
h √ √  i h √ √  √ i h √  i
[E:Q] = Q 3, 5 :Q = Q 3, 5 :Q( 3) Q 3 :Q = 2 × 2 = 4

2. E ⊃ F h √ √  √ i
[E : F] = Q 3, 5 : Q( 15) .
h √ √  i h √ √  √ i h √  i
Q 3, 5 :Q = Q 3, 5 : Q( 15) × Q 15 :Q
h √ √  √ i
⇒ 4 = Q 3, 5 : Q( 15) × 2
h √ √  √ i
⇒ Q 3, 5 : Q( 15) = 2

3. F ⊃ Q h √  i
Q 15 :Q = 2
√ √  √ 
b) Given E = Q 3, 5 and F = Q 15

1. The automorphisms fixing Q are:

σ0 = id

√ √
σ1 : 3 → − 3

√ √
σ2 : 5 → − 5

√ √
3→− 3
σ3 : √ √
5→− 5
√ √
Then G(Q( 3, 5)/Q)={σ0 , σ1 , σ2 , σ3 }

⇒ |G (E/Q)| = 4
√ 
2. The automorphisms fixing Q 15 are:

σ0 = id
√ √
3 →− 3
σ1 : √ √
5 →− 5
Thus, G(E/F ) = {σ0 , σ1 } ⇒ |G (E/F)| = 2.
3. The automorphisms fixing Q are:
σ0 = id
√ √
σ1 : 15 → − 15
Thus, G (F/Q) = {σ0 , σ1 } ⇒ |G (F/Q )| = 2.

√
3

3. Determine whether the extension Q 2 ⊃ Q is normal or not and justify your answer.

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 Solution: Since we have the following result,

Proposition: A field extension L/K is called normal if whenever a polynomial f in

K[x] is irreducible, it either has no root in L or splits into linear factors in L.
√
3

The extension Q 2 ⊃ Q is NOT Normal. Since the minimal polynomial x3 − 2 is irreducible
√ 
(by Eisenstein’s Criterion) and has one root 21/3 in Q 3 2 . But the other two roots 21/3 ω and
√  √
21/3 ω2 are not in Q 3 2 where ω = − 12 + 23 i.

4. Let E be the splitting field of f (x) = x3 − 5 over Q.

a) Describe E.
b) Describe the Galois Group, GalQ (f ).
c) Find all the subgroups of GalQ (f ) and the corresponding intermediate fields of E ⊃ Q fixed by
the given subgroups.

Solution:

a) The zeros of f are computed using De Moivre’s formula as follows

√
" ! !#
3 2kπ 2kπ
Zk = 5 cos + i · sin
3 3
Then,
√
3
√
3
Z0 = 5 [cos (0) + i · sin (0)] = 5
√ !
√
3

2π
    √
2π 3 1 3
Z1 = 5 cos + i · sin = 5 − + i
3 3 2 2
√ !
√
3

4π
    √
4π 3 1 3
Z2 = 5 cos + i · sin = 5 − − i
3 3 2 2
√ √ √ √
Thus, the zeroes of f are 3 5, 3 5ω and 3 5ω2 , where ω = − 12 + 23 i. Hence, the splitting
√ 
field of f (x) = x3 − 5 is E=Q 3 5, ω .
√ h √  i
b) The minimal polynomial of 3 5 over Q is x3 − 5. Thus, Q 3 5 :Q = 3. And the minimal
√
polynomial of ω = − 12 + 23 i over Q is x2 + x + 1 which is also a minimal polynomial of ω
√ 
over Q 3 5 . Then
h √ 3
 i h √ 3
 √ 3
i h  √
3
 i
Q 5, ω :Q = Q 5, ω :Q 5 Q 5 :Q
= 2 × 3 = 6.
Hence the galois group has order 6. The possible automorphisms are:
σ0 = id
√
3
√
3
σ1 : 5 → 5ω
√
3
√
3
σ2 : 5 → 5ω2
σ3 : ω → ω 2
√
 35→ √
 3
5ω
σ4 : 

ω → ω 2

√ √
3 3
 5 → 5ω2


σ5 : 
ω → ω 2


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 Therefore GalQ (f ) = {σ0 , σ1 , σ2 , σ3 , σ4 , σ5 }.

c) The subgroups of GalQ (f ): {id} = {σ0 } and G = GalQ (f ) are the trivial ones. To find the non
trivial subgroups let us consider the following observations

σ32 = id, σ42 = id, σ52 = id.

Which implies us σ3−1 = σ3 , σ4−1 = σ4 and σ5−1 = σ5 . Thus {σ0 , σ3 } , {σ0 , σ4 } , {σ0 , σ5 } are also
subgroups. Moreover, {id, σ1 , σ2 } is a subgroup since σ12 = σ2 , σ22 = σ1 and σ1 σ2 = id.
Therefore {σ0 } , G, {σ0 , σ3 } , {σ0 , σ4 } , {σ0 , σ5 } , {σ0 , σ1 , σ2 } are the subgroups of GalQ (f ) .

Subgroups Intermediate Fields

{σ0 } E
{σ0 , σ1 , σ2 } Q(ω)
√
{σ0 , σ3 } Q 35
√ 
{σ0 , σ4 } Q 3 5, ω2
√ 
{σ0 , σ5 } Q 3 5, ω
G Q

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