Section 13.2 and 13.3.

Homework #9 Masaya Sato

Sec 13.2
3. Determine the minimal polynomial over Q for the element 1 + i.
Solution: Observe that 1 + i is a root of the quadratic polynomial x2 + 2x + 2. By the
Rational Root Theorem, the polynomial is irreducible over Q. So x2 + 2x + 2 is the minimal
polynomial.
√ √ √
4. Determine the degree over Q of 2 + 3 and of 1 + 3 2 + 3 4.
√ √
Solution: First consider the extension Q(2 + 3) of Q. Observe that 2 + 3 is a root of
the polynomial
x2 − 4x + 1,
and x2 − 4x + 1 is irreducible over Q by the Rational Root Theorem √ or Gauss’s Lemma. So
the polynomial is the minimal polynomial
√ √ and therefore [Q(2 + 3) : Q]√= 2. √ √
3 3 3 3 3
Next consider√ the extension Q(1 + √ 2 + 4)
√ of Q. Observe that Q(1 + 2 + 4) = Q( 4)
3 3 3 3
since 1 and 2 are generated by 4. And 4 is a root of the polynomial x − 4, which is
irreducible over Q by Rational Root Theorem or Gauss’s Lemma. So
√
3
√
3
√
3
[Q(1 + 2 + 4) : Q] = [Q( 4) : Q] = 3.

5. Let F = Q(i). Prove that x3 − 2 and x3 − 3 are irreducible over F .

Proof. First suppose by contradiction that x3 − 2 is reducible over F . Then at least one root
is in F since x3 − 2 decomposes into two polynomials, i.e.,

x3 − 2 = (x − α)q(x),
√
1 3
where α ∈ F and q(x) is some monic quadratic polynomial. Now let ζ = 2
+ 2
i. Then the
roots of x3 − 2 are √ √ √
3 3 3
2, 2ζ, and 2ζ,
where ζ denotes the complex conjugate of ζ. Observe that every element in F is of the form

a + bi,

a and b are elements in Q. However none of the roots is of the form. Therefore x3 − 2 is
irreducible over F . √ √ √
Similarly, if x3 − 3 is reducible over F , then the roots are 3 3, 3 3ζ, and 3 3ζ. However, none
of the roots is of the form a + bi, where a and b are in Q. Therefore x3 − 3 is irreducible over
F.
p √
10. Determine the degree of the extension Q( 3 + 2 2) over Q.
p √
Solution: Observe first that 3 + 2 2 is a root of the polynomial p(x) = x4 − 6x2 + 1. p(x)
is irreducible over Q by Rational
p Root Theorem or Gauss 0 sLemma. So p(x) is the minimal
√
polynomial and therefore [Q( 3 + 2 2) : Q] = 4.

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Section 13.2 and 13.3. Homework #9 Masaya Sato

12. Suppose the degree of the extension K/F is a prime p. Show that any subfield E of K
containing F is either K or F .
Proof. By assumption the degree [K : F ] = p, where p is some prime. Since E is a subfield
of K containing F , i.e. F ≤ E ≤ K,

p = [K : F ] = [K : E][E : F ].

Then consider the following two cases.

Case 1: [K : E] = 1 and [E : F ] = p. Then E = K.
Case 2: [K : E] = p and [E : F ] = 1. Then E = F .
√
13. Suppose F = Q(α1 , α2 , . . . , αn ) where αi2 ∈ Q for i = 1, 2, . . . , n. Prove that 3
2∈
/ F.
Proof. Observe first that the degree√of extension F/Q is 2k for some √ positive integer
√ k.
3 3 3
Then suppose by contradiction that 2 ∈ F . Any field containing 2 includes Q( 2) as a
subfield. Therefore
√3
√
3
√3
[F : Q] = [F : Q( 2)][Q( 2) : Q] = 3[F : Q( 2)],
√
and thus [F : Q] is divisible by 3. This contradicts that [F : Q] = 2k . Hence 3 2 ∈
/ F.
14. Prove that if [F (α) : F ] is odd then F (α) = F (α2 ).
Proof. Since [F (α) : F ] is finite, α is algebraic over F . This implies that α2 = αα is algebraic
over F . So the simple extension [F (α2 ) : F ] is finite. Therefore

[F (α) : F ] = [F (α) : F (α2 )][F (α2 ) : F ] ⇒ 2k + 1 = [F (α) : F (α2 )][F (α2 ) : F ]

for some positive integer k. Observe that [F (α) : F (α2 )] ≤ 2. If [F (α) : F (α2 )] = 2,
then this contradicts that [F (α) : F ] = 2k + 1. Therefore [F (α) : F (α2 )] = 1 and thus
F (α) = F (α2 ).
16. Let K/F be an algebraic extension and let R be a ring contained in K and containing
F . Show that R is a subfield of K containing F .
Proof. For every nonzero α ∈ R α is algebraic over F since α ∈ K. So α is a root of some
irreducible polynomial p(x) of the form

p(x) = an xn + · · · + a1 x + a0 ,

where a0 , a1 , . . . , an ∈ F . If a0 = 0, then p(x) = x since otherwise p(x) would be reducible.

Moreover 0 = p(α) = α. So suppose that a0 6= 0. Then

0 = p(α) = an αn + · · · + a1 α,

and thus
α−1 = −(a0 )−1 (an αn−1 + · · · + a1 ) ∈ R
is a multiplicative inverse of α. Therefore R is a field.

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Section 13.2 and 13.3. Homework #9 Masaya Sato

19. Let K be an extension of F of degree n.

(a) For any α ∈ K prove that α acting by left multiplication on K is an F -linear transfor-
mation of K.

(b) Prove that K is isomorphic to a subfield of the ring of n × n matrices over F , so the ring
of n × n matrices over F contains an isomorphic copy of every extension of F of degree
≤ n.
Proof. (a) Let fα : K → K be a map defined by

fα (x) = αx.

Then for all x and y in K

fα (x + y) = α(x + y) = αx + αy = fα (x) + fα (y),

and for every λ ∈ F

fα (λx) = α(λx) = (αλ)x = (λα)x = λ(αx) = λfα (x).

Therefore the map fλ , which corresponds to left multiplication on K by α, is an F -linear

transformation on K.
(b) For α and β in K assume that fα (x) = fβ (x) for every x ∈ K. Then

fα (x) = fβ (x) ⇒ αx = βx

and thus α = β by setting x = 1. So the action of an element in K by left multiplication is

an injective F -linear transformation. Moreover for all α and β in K and x ∈ K

fα+β (x) = (α + β)x = αx + βx = fα (x) + fβ (x), and

fαβ (x) = (αβ)x = α(βx) = fα (fβ (x)) = (fα fβ )(x).

Therefore K is isomorphic to the ring of n × n matrices over F . Furthermore the ring of
n × n matrices contains an isomorphic copy of every extension of F of degree less than or
equal to n.
Sec 13.3 √ √
4. Prove that Q( 2) and Q( 3) are not isomorphic.
√ √
Proof. Suppose by contradiction that there exists an isomorphism ϕ : Q( 2) → Q( 3).
Then observe that ϕ(1) = 1 and
√ √
2 = 2ϕ(1) = ϕ(2) = ϕ(( 2)2 ) = (ϕ( 2))2 .
√ √ √ √
So ϕ( 2) is either 2 or − 2. Since every element α ∈ Q( 3) is of the form
√
α = a + b 3,

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Section 13.2 and 13.3. Homework #9 Masaya Sato

there are some a and b in Q such that

√ √
2 = a + b 3.

Then
√ √ √
2 = a + b 3 ⇒ 4 = a2 + 3b2 + 2ab 3
√ 4 − a2 − 3b2
⇒ 3= .
2ab
√ √ √
However this contradicts that 3 is irrational. Therefore Q( 2) and Q( 3) are not isomor-
phic.
√ √
5. Determine the automorphisms of the extension Q( 4 2)/Q( 2) explicitly.
√ √ √
Solution: Observe first that√4 2 is a root of an irreducible polynomial x2 − 2 ∈ Q( 2)[x].
So the automorphisms of Q( 4 2) are the identity map id and ϕ that maps
√
4
√4
√4
√
4
2 7→ 2 or 2 7→ − 2.
√ √
So ϕ(a + b 4 2) = a − b 4 2.

Abstract Algebra by Dummit and Foote 4