Galois Theory: Final Assignment Problem 2

April 24, 2016

Let k be a field of characteristic p > 0, 0 6= a k, P = X p aX b k[X],
K splitting field of P .
1. Why is K a Galois extension of k? Show that X p1 a split over K and
its roots together with 0 form a subgroup of K isomorphic to Z/pZ.
K is a normal extension because it is the splitting field of P . K is a
separable extension because P 0 = pX p1 a = a 6= 0 and has no
multiple roots. Together, this means K is Galois over k.
Let Q = X p1 a. Let {xi } be the p roots of P in K. Consider the set
Y = {yn = n(x1 x2 ) K|n [1..p 1] Z}. There are p 1 nonzero
elements in this set and each satisfies:
Q(yn ) = ynp1 a
= (yn )1 (ynp ayn )
= (yn )1 (np (x1 x2 )p anx1 + anx2 )
= (yn )1 (nxp1 nxp2 anx1 + anx2 )
= (yn )1 (n(xp1 ax1 b) n(xp2 ax2 b))
= (yn )1 (0 0)
=0
We see that K contains p 1 distinct roots of Q and therefore, Q splits
over K. Moreover, adding 0 to Y, we see that this is Z/pZ generated by
y1 = x1 x2 .
2. What do we know about the Galois group of the splitting field L of the
polynomial X p1 a over k?
We already know X p1 1 splits over k because of characteristic p > 0,
so this is then a Kummer extension with a cyclic Galois group of order
q|p 1.
3. Let G = Gal(K/k), H = Gal(K/L). Show that for any g G and x a
root of P , gx x is either zero or a root of X p1 a; moreover for g H
this element does not depend on x.

G as the Galois group of P acts on its roots. Therefore gx is also a root

of P . Here we can see that gx x is a root of X p aX:
0 = ((gx)p a(gx) b) (xp ax b)
= ((gx)p xp ) a(gx x)
= (gx x)p a(gx x)
Therefore, gx x must either be 0 or a root to Q = X p1 a.
If h H, as an element of G, h is still defined by its actions on the roots
of P , {xi }. However, since it is in H, it must fix L. For we show that
{xi xj |i 6= j} are all roots of Q and therefore in L and fixed by h:
Q(xi xj ) = (xi xj )p1 a
= (xi xj )1 ((xi xj )p a(xi xj ))
= (xi xj )1 ((xpi axi b) (xpj axj b))
= (xi xj )1 (0 0)
=0
We will show for any xi , hxi xi is constant and therefore independent
of xi .
(h(xi ) xi ) (h(xj ) xj ) = h(xi xj ) (xi xj )
= (xi xj ) (xi xj )
=0
Therefore for h H, hx x is independent of x.
4. Show that H has either 1 or p elements.
h H is defined by its action on the roots of P , {xi }. In the case these
roots are in L, we have K = L and H = e has only 1 element.
Otherewise, xi
/ L, and h is defined by its action on x1 . Suppose h(x1 ) =
xj , then h(xk ), k 6= i is determined by using the relation before that hxx
is constant:
h(x1 ) x1 = h(xk ) xk
xj x1 = h(xk ) xk
h(xk ) = xj + xk x1
Since there are p roots of P , there are p possibilities for h(x1 ), so there
are p elements in H.
5. Prove the equivalence of the following three properties: H = Z/pZ; P is
irreducible over L; P is irreducible over k.
If P is irreducible over L, then by definition, it is also irreducible over k.
If P is irreducible over k, then P has p roots in K, its splitting field and
p|[K : k]. Since Q = X p1 a has either a corresponding Galois group
2

that is trivial or one that is a cyclic group of order q|p 1, we have that
[K : k] = [K : L][L : k] = p|[K : L]. This means that H = Gal(K/L)
cannot be trivial and as shown eariler, must have p elements. Such a group
must necessarily be isomorphic to Z/pZ.
If H = Z/pZ, then we know the roots of P , {xi } are not fixed by H and
thus not in L and not in k. The H are acting transitively on the roots of
P and therefore P is irreducible.
6. Let k = Fp (T ) (the field of rational functions in one variable and coefficients in Fp (T )). What is the order of the Galois group of P (X) =
Xp T X T ?
Since T is not a p 1st power in k, Q = X p1 T is irreducible over
k and Gal(L/k) = Z/(p 1)Z. Similarly P is irreducible over k, so
H = Gal(K/L) = Z/pZ. So we have Gal(P ) = Z/(p 1)Z Z/pZ.