Michaelmas Term 2023 T.A.
Fisher
Galois Theory: Example Sheet 3 of 4
1. Give an example to show that if M/L and L/K are finite Galois extensions, then
M/K need not be Galois.
2. Find the Galois group of X 4 + X 3 + 1 over each of the finite fields F2 , F3 , F4 .
3. (i) Let p be an odd prime, and let α ∈ Fpn . Show that α ∈ Fp if and only if αp = α,
and that α + α−1 ∈ Fp if and only if either αp = α or αp = α−1 .
(ii) Apply (i) to a root of X 2 + 1 in a suitable extension of Fp to show that −1 is
a square in Fp if and only if p ≡ 1 (mod 4). [You will probably have seen different
proofs of this fact in earlier courses.]
(iii) Show that α4 = −1 if and only if (α + α−1 )2 = 2. Deduce that 2 is a square
in Fp if and only if p ≡ ±1 (mod 8).
4. Let L/K be an extension of finite fields. Suppose that #K = pr and write φ for the
p-power Frobenius. Using the fact that L/K is Galois, with Galois group generated
by σ = φr , show that the maps TrL/K : L → K and NL/K : L → K are surjective.
5. Let f be a monic quartic polynomial, and g its resolvant cubic. Show that the
discriminants of f and g are equal.
6. (i) What are the transitive subgroups of S4 ? Find a monic polynomial over Z of
degree 4 whose Galois group is V = {id, (12)(34), (13)(24), (14)(23)}.
(ii) Let f ∈ Z[X] be monic and separable of degree n. Suppose that the Galois
group of f over Q doesn’t contain an n-cycle. Prove that the reduction of f modulo
p is reducible for every prime p.
(iii) Hence exhibit an irreducible polynomial over Z whose reduction mod p is
reducible for every p.
7. (i) Let p be prime. Show that any transitive subgroup G of Sp contains a p-cycle.
Show that if G also contains a transposition then G = Sp .
(ii) Prove that the Galois group of X 5 + 2X + 6 is S5 .
(iii) Show that if f ∈ Q[X] is an irreducible polynomial of degree p which has
exactly two non-real roots, then its Galois group is Sp . Deduce that for m ∈ Z
sufficiently large,
f = X p + mp2 (X − 1)(X − 2) · · · (X − p + 2) − p
has Galois group Sp .
8. Compute the Galois group of X 5 − 2 over Q.
9. Let f ∈ Q[X] be an irreducible quartic polynomial whose
√ √Galois group is A4 . Show
that its splitting field can be written in the form K( a, b) where K/Q is a Galois
cubic extension and a, b ∈ K. Show that the resolvent cubic of X 4 + 6X 2 + 8X + 9
has Galois group C3 and deduce that the quartic has Galois group A4 .
10. Show that the Galois group of f (X) = X 5 − 4X + 2 over Q is S5 , and determine
its Galois group over Q(i).
11. Find the Galois group of f (X) = X 4 − 4X + 2 over Q and over Q(i).
12. Let p be an odd prime. Show that K = Q(ζp ) has a unique subfield of degree 2
over Q. Let f (X) = (X p − 1)/(X − 1). Show that f 0 (ζp ) = pζpp−1 /(ζp − 1) and
NK/Q (f 0 (ζp )) = pp−2 . Compute
√ the discriminant of f and deduce that the unique
quadratic subfield of K is Q( ±p) for some choice of sign. How does the correct
choice of sign depend on p?
Further problems
13. Give an example of a field K of characteristic p > 0 and α and β of the same degree
over K so that K(α) is not isomorphic to K(β). Does such an example exist if K
is a finite field? Justify your answer.
14. Factor into irreducibles X 9 − X over F3 , and X 16 − X over both F2 and F4 .
15. Write an (q) for the number of irreducible monic polynomials in Fq [X] of degree
exactly n.
n
(i) Show that an irreducible polynomial f ∈ Fq [X] of degree d divides X q − X if
and only if d divides n.
n
(ii) Deduce that X q − X is the product of all irreducible monic polynomials of
degree dividing n, and that X
dad (q) = q n .
d|n
(iii) Calculate the number of irreducible polynomials of degree 6 over F2 .
(iv) If you know about the Möbius function µ(n), use the Möbius inversion formula
to show that
1X
an (q) = µ(n/d)q d .
n
d|n
16. Find the Galois groups of X 5 − 15X + 21 and X 4 + X + 1 over Q.
17. Show that the Galois group of X 5 + 20X + 16 over Q is A5 .
