MAT 444 H.

Barcelo Spring 2004

Homework 13 Solutions
Chapter 13 Section 13.1 Question: 4. Let F be a field containing exactly eight elements. Prove or disprove: The characteristic of F is 2. Answer: Let F be a field with | F | = 8 since F is a finite field, we have that char ( F ) = p for some prime integer p. This means that p is the least integer such that1F + 1F + + 1F = 0
p times

Let G be the subgroup generated by 1F under addition. Clearly, | G | = p but G ( F , +) which implies that p divides 8 so p = 2.
Section 13.2 Question: 3. Determine the irreducible polynomial for = 3 + 5 over each of the following fields. (a.)

(b)

( 5)

(c)

( 10 )

(d)

( 15 )

Answer: a ) Let x = 3 + 5 x 2 = 3 + 2 3
x2 8 = 2 3 5

5+5

( x 2 8) 2 = x 4 16 x 2 + 64 = 60 x 4 16 x 2 + 4 = 0

Thus f ( x) = x 4 16 x 2 + 4 is a polynomial in [ x] with 3 + 5 has a root. Is is irreducible? f ( x) is irreducible if either it has a root in or it factors as two irreducible quadratics poly. Using the rational root test, one sees that f ( x) has no roots in . Next, if f ( x) = p ( x) q ( x) with p( x) = x 2 + ax + b and q( x) = x 2 + cx + d , then using the quadratic formula we see that this cannot occur. b)

( 5) : x =

3+ 5 x 3= 5
x2 2 5 x + 5 = 3 x2 2 5 x + 2 = 0

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( 5 ) only if it has a root in ( 5 ) . But the roots of g ( x) are ( 5 + 3 ) , so it suffices to show that 3 + 5 ( 5) . First we show that 3 ( 5 ) . Since 5 is algebraic over then ( 5 ) = [ 5] . So if 3 ( 5 ) 3 = a + b 5 a, b . But then
3 = a 2 + 5b 2 + 2ab 5 3 a 2 5b 2 5= 2ab contradicting the fact that 5 is irrational. Hence 3 + 5

So g ( x) = x 2 2 5 x + 2 has

3 + 5 as one of its roots. g ( x) is reducible over

( 5 ) since
2

( 5).

( 5 ) and
, or product of 3 and 5,

c) Since 10 cannot be obtained as linear combination over then x 16 x + 4 is an irreducible polynomial over as one of its roots.
4

and over

10 with

3+ 5

d)

3+ 5

= 8 + 2 15 . Thus x 2 8 2 15 is a polynomial in

( 15 ) with

3 + 5 as one of its roots. An argument similar to the one given in (b) reveals that

x 2 8 2 15 is irreducible over

( 15 ) .

Question: 5. Let K = F ( ) , where is a root of the irreducible polynomial f ( x) = x n + an + an 1 x n 1 + + a1 x + a0 . Determine the element 1 explicitly in terms of and of the coefficients ai . First note that a0 0 , otherwise f ( x) would factor. Answer: Since n + an 1 n 1 + + a1 1 + a0 = 0

n + an 1 n 1 +

+ a1 = a0

n
a0

an 1 n 1 a0

a1 =1 a0

n 1 a0 1 =

a1 =1 a0

n 1
a0

n2
a0

a1 a0

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Section 13.3 Question: 4. Let n = e 2 i / n . Determine the irreducible polynomial over

( 3 ) of

(a) 6 , (b) 9 , (c) 12 .

Answer: Let n = e 2 i / n , k = 3 j for j . Then [ ( 3 ) ( k ): ] = [ ( 3 ) ( k ): ( 3 )][ and [ ( k ) ( 3 ): ] = [ ( k ) ( 3 ): ( k )][ since ( 3 ) ( k ) = ( 3 ) ( k ) , we have that [ ( 3 ) ( k ): ( 3 )][ ( 3 ): ]

( 3 ) ( k ) . So ( 3 ): ] ( k ): ] [ ( k ) ( 3 ):

( k )] [ ( k ):

]=

Next, since k = 3 j , k = e
j

j 2 i k

= e 2 i / 3 = 3 . Thus x k j is the monic irreducible

polynomial of 3 in

( k ) , and [ ( k )( 3 ) :

( k )] = 1 . Moreover, 3 3 1 = 0 so 3 is a .

root of ( x) = x3 1 . But x3 1 = ( x 1) ( x 2 + x + 1) and x 2 + x + 1 is irreducible in Since 3 1 0 32 + 1 = 0 . So [ ( 3 ) : ] = 2 [ ( k ): ] = 2[ ( 3 ) ( k ): ( 3 )] . a)

6 is a root of x 6 1 = ( x 1) ( x + 1) ( x 4 + x 2 + 1) since 3 is a root of x 6 1 x 2 + x + 1 (the irreducible polynomial for 3 over ) must also be a factor.
Thus, x 6 1 = ( x + 1) ( x 1) ( x 2 + x + 1) ( x 2 x + 1) . Easy computations show that 62 6 + 1 = 0 and since x 2 x + 1 is also irreducible (rational root test) over , [ ( 6 ): = 2 and [ ( 3 ) ( k ): ( 3 )] = 1 6 ( 3 ) .Indeed

6 = 32 x + 32 = 0 .Clearly, x + 32 is the monic irreducible polynomial over ( 3 ) associated to 6 .

b)

9 is also a root of x 6 1 = ( x + 1) ( x 1) ( x 2 + x + 1) ( x 2 x + 1) yielding [ ( 3 ) ( 9 ) : ( 3 )] = 3 . Thus we are looking for an irreducible (monic) polynomial over ( 3 ) of degree 3. But 93 = 3 , so x 3 3 is the irreducible (monic) polynomial associated to 9 in ( 3 ) .
x 4 x 2 + 1 is the irreducible polynomial for 12 over . So [ ( 12 ) : ] = 4 and 2 [ ( 3 ) ( 12 ) : ( 3 )] .Note that 12 = 6 = 32 x 2 62 is the monic irreducible polynomial for 12 over ( 3 ) .

c)

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Question: 7. Decide whether or not i is in the field (a)

2 , (b)

2 , (c)

( ), where

3 + + 1 = 0 .
Answer: a) We have that x 2 + 2 = 0 has element of
If i

2 of the form: a + b 2 with a, b

2 i a + b 2

2 has a root and degree .

2 :

= 2 , with every

i 2 = 1 = a 2 2b 2 + 2ab 2 which is clearly impossible. 2 . Thus i

b)

We have that x 4 + 2 = 0 has A 2 for root. Note that f ( x) = x 4 + 2 is irreducible over since 5 does not divide 1 and residue f ( x) = x 4 + 2 modulo 5 is irreducible.
So if i

2 i = a + b + c 2 + d 3

i 2 = 1 = (a + b + c 2 + d 3 ) 2 . Straightforward but tedious calculations show that this is impossible i ( ) .

c)

Note that x3 + x 1 is irreducible over [ x] since ( x 3 + x + 1) is irreducible modulo 2. Thus, [ ( ) : ] has degree 3. But (i ) has degree 2 and since 2 does not divide 3, i ( ) .

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