CCM326, Galois Theory May 2021 Exam Solutions

√ √
A1. Let K denote the field Q(α), where α = 6 2, and let E = Q( 2). (For
each part, a justification of one or two sentences will suffice.)
a) Find the minimal polynomial of α over Q.
Solution: Since α6 = 2, α is a root of X 6 − 2, which is irreducible
by Eisenstein’s Criterion. Therefore mα,Q = X 6 − 2.
b) Find the minimal polynomial of α over E.
Solution: Since [K : Q] = 6 (by (a)) and [E : Q] = 2, we have
[K : E] = 3 (by
√ the Tower Law), so mα,E has degree 3.√Since α is a
root of X 3 − 2 ∈ E[X], it follows that mα,E = X 3 − 2.
c) Describe all the field embeddings τ : K → R.
Solution: By Artin’s Extension Theorem, the embeddings K → R
correspond to the roots of mα,Q = X 6 − 2. Since its only roots in
R are ±α, there are two embeddings τ1 , τ2 : K → R, defined by
τ1 (α) = α and τ2 (α) = −α.
d) Determine which √embeddings τ : K → √ R are E-embeddings.
√
Solution: Since 2 = α3 , we have τ1 ( 2) = 2 and
√ √
τ2 ( 2) = τ2 (α3 ) = τ2 (α)3 = −α3 = − 2,

so the only E-embedding K → R is τ1 .

A2. Let L = F3 (Y ), the field of rational functions over F3 in the variable
Y . For each of the following subfields K of L, determine i) whether L is
separable over K, and ii) whether L is normal over K. (In each case, a
justification of one or two sentences will suffice.)
a) K = F3 (Y 2 );
Solution: We have L = K(α), where α is a root of the polynomial
X 2 − Y 2 ∈ K[X]. Since X 2 − Y 2 = (X − α)(X + α) is separable and
splits completely over L, it follows that L is normal and separable
over K.
b) K = F3 (Y 3 );
Solution: Now L = K(α) where α = Y is a root of the polynomial
X 3 − Y 3 = (X − α)3 , which is irreducible in K[X], but not separable.
Therefore L is not separable over K (since α is not), but it is normal
over K since it is the splitting field over K of X 3 − Y 3 .
A3. For each of the following polynomials f in Q[X], determine the structure
of the Galois group Gal(Lf /Q), where Lf is a splitting field of f over Q.
(Justify your answers using results from the lectures.)
a) f (X) = X 3 − 2X + 1;
Solution: Since f (1) = 0, we can factor f , as (X − 1)(X 2 + X − 1).

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 Therefore the splitting field of f√over Q is the same as that√of X 2 +
X − 1, which has roots (−1 ± 5)/2. Therefore Lf = Q( 5), and
Gal(Lf /Q) is isomorphic to Z/2Z.
b) f (X) = X 3 − 21X − 28;
Solution: In this case f is irreducible by Eisenstein’s Criterion (with
p = 7), so Gal(Lf /Q) is isomorphic to A3 or S3 according to whether
∆f is a square in Q. We compute that

∆f = −4(−21)3 − 27(−28)2 = 4 · 72 · 27 · (7 − 4) = 22 · 72 · 92

is a square in Q, so Gal(Lf /Q) is isomorphic to A3 .

c) f (X) = X 4 − 2X − 2;
Solution: Again f is irreducible by Eisenstein’s Criterion (with p =
2), so Gal(Lf /Q) is isomorphic to a transitive subgroup of S4 . The
cubic resolvent is
g = X 3 + 8X − 4,
which is irreducible since its only possible roots are ±1, ±2 or ±4.
Since ∆g = −4(8)3 − 27(−4)2 < 0 is not a square in Q, it follows that
Gal(Lg /Q) is isomorphic to S3 , so Gal(Lf /Q) is isomorphic to S4 .
d) f (X) = X 11 − 1.
Solution: By results from lecture, the Galois group of X n − 1 is
isomorphic to a subgroup of (Z/nZ)× , so Gal(Lf /Q) is isomorphic
to a subgroup of (Z/11Z)× (a cyclic of order 10). Furthermore since
11 is prime, we in fact have [Lf : Q] = 10, so Gal(Lf /Q) is isomorphic
to (Z/11Z)× .
A4. Suppose that L is a finite Galois extension of K with Galois group G =
Gal(L/K), and that H and N are subgroups of G with fixed fields E = LH
and F = LN . Suppose that N is normal in G, so that

HN = { στ | σ ∈ H, τ ∈ N }

is a subgroup of G. (The fact that HN is a subgroup is an elementary

result from group theory which you do not need to prove.) Prove that
LHN = E ∩ F , and deduce that Gal(L/(E ∩ F )) = HN .
Solution: Since H ⊂ HN , we have LHN ⊂ LH = E, and similarly since
N ⊂ HN , we have LHN ⊂ F . Therefore LHN ⊂ E ∩ F .
Suppose on the other hand that α ∈ E ∩ F . Then for any element στ ∈
HN , where σ ∈ H and τ ∈ N , we have τ (α) = α (since α ∈ E = LN ) and
therefore σ(τ (α)) = σ(α) = α (since α ∈ F = LH ). We have now shown
that α ∈ LHN , so we conclude that LHN = E ∩ F .
The Fundamental Theorem of Galois Theory therefore implies that

Gal(L/(E ∩ F )) = Gal(L/LHN ) = HN.

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A5. Let K denote the splitting field over F2 of the polynomial X 256 −X. (Note
that 256 = 28 .) Giving a brief justification in each case, determine the
number of:
a) elements of K;
Solution: By results from lecture K = F28 , which has 28 = 256
elements.
b) automorphisms of K;
Solution: By results from lecture Gal(F28 /F2 ) is cyclic of order 8,
so K = F28 has 8 automorphisms.
c) subfields of K (including F2 and K itself).
Solution: The subfields of K (necessarily containing F2 ) are in bi-
jection with the subgroups of Gal(F28 /F2 ). Being cyclic of order 8,
there is one subgroup of each order dividing 8, namely 1, 2, 4 and 8,
so there are 4 subfields of K.
A6. For each of the following polynomials f in Q[X], justify the statement
that if α is a root of f , then Q(α) is solvable by radicals over Q. (In each
case, a one or two sentence explanation will suffice.)
a) f = X 7 − 18;
Solution: Since α17 = 18 ∈ Q, Q(α) is a radical extension of Q, and
therefore solvable by radicals over Q.
b) f = X 4 + 3X 2 − 2X + 1;
Solution: By results from lecture, if α is a root of f ∈ Q[X] and
deg(f ) ≤ 4, then Q(α) is solvable, hence solvable by radicals, over Q.
c) f = X 15 + X 5 − 1.
Solution: We have that β = α5 is a root of g = X 3 + X − 1. Since g
has degree 3 (≤ 4), Q(β) is solvable by radicals over Q. Furthermore
Q(α) is radical, hence solvable by radicals, over Q(β), so the tower
Q ⊂ Q(β) ⊂ Q(α) shows that Q(α) is solvable by radicals over Q.
p √
B7 (Level 6). Let α = 2 + 6, let f = mα,Q be the minimal polynomial
of α over Q, and let L be the subfield of C generated (over Q) by the roots
of f .

a) Determine f , and find all of its

√ roots. √
Solution: We have α2 = 2 + 6, so α2 − 2 = 6, and squaring both
sides gives α4 − 4α2 + 4 = 6. Therefore α is a root of X 4 − 4X 2 − 2,
which is irreducible by Eisenstein’s Criterion (with p = 2), from
which it follows that f = mα,Q = X 4 − 4X 2 − 2.
√
Note that −α is also a root ofpf , as are ±β if β 2 − 2 = − 6. Note
√ √
that 2 < 6, so letting β = i −2 + 6, the roots of f are ±α and
±β.

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 b) Use your answer to part (a) to show that [L : Q(α)] = 2.
Solution: Since Q(α) ⊂ R, but β 6∈ R, we have β 6∈ Q(α), so
[L : Q(α)] ≥ 2.
√ √ √
On the other hand 6 = α2 − 2 ∈ Q(α) and β 2 = 2 − 6 ∈ Q( 6) ⊂
Q(α), so deg mβ,Q(α) ≤ 2. Since L = Q(±α, ±β) = Q(α, β), it follows
that [L : Q(α)] = deg(mβ,Q(α) ≤ 2. Therefore [L : Q(α)] = 2.
c) Deduce from part (b) that Gal(L/Q) is isomorphic to D4 (the dihe-
dral group of order 8).
Solution: Since f ∈ Q[X] is an irreducible polynomial of degree 4
and L is the splitting field of f over Q, we know that Gal(L/Q) is
isomorphic to a transitive subgroup of S4 . It follows from part (b)
(and the Tower Law) that [L : Q] = [L : Q(α)][Q(α) : Q] = 2 · 4 = 8,
so Gal(L/Q) has order 8, and the only transitive subgroups of S4 of
order 8 are isomorphic to D4 .
d) Use part (c) to determine the number of subfields E ⊂ L such that
[E : Q] = 4, and determine how many of those fields are Galois over
Q.
Solution: By the Fundamental Theorem of Galois Theory, subfields
E ⊂ L (necessarily containing Q) are in bijection with subgroups of
Gal(L/Q), via E ↔ Gal(L/E). Furthermore [E : Q] = 4 if and only
if [L : E] = 2, which is equivalent to the corresponding subgroup
H = Gal(L/E) having order 2, and E is Galois over Q if and only if
H is normal in G.
By part (c), Gal(L/Q) is isomorphic to D4 , so the subfields E such
that [E : Q] = 4 are in bijection with subgroups of D4 of order 2,
and E is Galois over Q if and only if the subgroup is normal in D4 .
Writing
D4 = { e, ρ, ρ2 , ρ3 , σ, σρ, σρ2 , σρ3 }
where ρ has order 4, the subgroups of order 2 are hτ i, where τ is
any of the 5 elements of order 2, namely ρ2 and σρi for i = 0, 1, 2, 3.
Furthermore since ρσ = σρ3 and ρ2 σ = σρ2 , the only one which
is normal is hρ2 i. Therefore there are 5 subfields E of L such that
[E : Q] = 4, and one of them is Galois over Q.
B7 (Level 7). Suppose that L is a finite Galois extension of K, and that
∼
there is an isomorphism ψ : Gal(L/K) −→ Sn for some integer n ≥ 2. Let
0
H denote the subgroup of Sn defined by

H 0 = { π ∈ Sn | π(n) = n },

let H = ψ −1 (H 0 ), and let E denote the fixed field LH of H. Suppose that

F is a Galois extension of K such that E ⊂ F ⊂ L and let N = Gal(L/F ).

a) Explain why E = K(α) for some α ∈ L, and show that [E : K] = n.

Solution: Since L is a finite separable extension of K, so is E (as

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 E ⊂ L). Therefore by the Primitive Element Theorem, E = K(α)
for some α ∈ E ⊂ L.
If π ∈ H 0 , then the restriction of π to {1, . . . , n−1} defines an element
of Sn−1 . Furthermore every element φ ∈ Sn−1 extends uniquely to
an element H 0 ⊂ Sn , so the restriction H 0 → Sn−1 is a bijection (in
fact an isomorphism). Therefore H 0 has order (n − 1)!, and since ψ
is an isomorphism, so does H. Therefore [L : E] = (n − 1)!, and
[E : K] = n!/(n − 1)! = n.
b) Prove that N is a normal subgroup of Gal(L/K) such that ψ(N ) ⊂
H 0.
Solution: Since F is Galois over K, the Fundamental Theorem of
Galois Theory implies that N is normal in Gal(L/K).
Furthermore since E ⊂ F , we have N ⊂ H, and hence ψ(N ) ⊂ H 0 .
c) Deduce from part (b) that F = L.
Solution: Since ψ is an isomorphism, it follows from part (b) that
N 0 = ψ(N ) is a normal subgroup of Sn contained in H 0 . We will
show that N 0 = {e}.
Suppose that π ∈ N 0 . We will show that π(i) = i for i = 1, . . . , n.
Note that since N 0 ⊂ H 0 , we have π(n) = n. If i ∈ {1, . . . , n−1}, then
choose any τ ∈ Sn such that τ (n) = i, for example the transposition
τ = (i, n) (in cycle notation). Since N 0 is normal in Sn , we have
τ −1 πτ ∈ N 0 ⊂ H 0 , so τ −1 πτ (n) = n. Therefore π(i) = π(τ (n)) =
τ (n) = i.
We have now shown that N 0 = {e}, and therefore N = {e}, and the
Fundamental Theorem of Galois Theory implies that F = LN = L.
d) Deduce from parts (a) and (c) that L is the splitting field over K of
a polynomial in K[X] of degree n.
Solution: Let f = mα,K , where α ∈ L is chosen as part (a), so
deg(f ) = [E : K] = n.
Since L is Galois over K, f splits completely over L, so if Lf is the
subfield of L generated by the roots of f , then Lf is a splitting field
of f over K. Since L is separable over K, Lf is Galois over K, and
α ∈ Lf , so E ⊂ Lf . Therefore the field Lf satisfies the assumptions
on F , so part (c) implies that L = Lf is the splitting field of f over
K.
B8. Let f and g denote the polynomials f (X) = X 3 + X − 1 and
30
X
g(X) = X i = X 30 + · · · + X 2 + X + 1
i=0

in F5 [X], and suppose that K = F5 (α) where α is a root of f .

a) Show that f is irreducible in F5 [X], and express all the roots of f as
powers of α.

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 Solution: We have f (0) = f (2) = f (−2) = −1, f (1) = 1 and
f (−1) = 2, so f has no roots in F5 . Since f is cubic, it follows that
f is irreducible in F5 [X].
Since [K : F5 ] = deg(f ) = 3, we have K ∼= F53 , so K is Galois over
F5 with Gal(K/F5 ) cyclic of order 3, generated by the automorphism
φ defined by φ(α) = α5 . Therefore the roots of f are

α, φ(α) = α5 , and φ2 (α) = φ(φ(α)) = φ(α5 ) = α25 .

b) Use the answer to part (a) to prove that α has order 31 in K × .

Solution: Since the roots of f are α, α5 and α25 , it follows that

f (X) = X 3 + X − 1 = (X − α)(X − α5 )(X − α25 ).

Equating constant terms, it follows that α31 = 1, so the order of α

in K × divides 31.
Since α 6= 1 and 31 is prime, the order of α must be exactly 31.
c) Deduce from part (b) that g is divisible by f in F5 [X].
Solution: By part (b), we have α31 = 1, we have

X30
(α − 1)( αi ) = α31 − 1 = 0.
i=0
P30
Furthermore α 6= 1, so g(α) = i=0 αi = 0, i.e., α is a root of g.
Since f is irreducible, we have f = mα,F5 , and therefore g is divisible
by f in F5 [X].
d) Prove that g is the product of 10 irreducible polynomials of degree 3
in F5 [X].
Solution: Since K × contains a subgroup of order 31 (which is
prime), it must contain 30 elements of order 31, all of which are
roots of g. Therefore the roots of g are precisely the 30 elements of
order 31 in K × .
Let β be any root of g. Then β 6∈ F5 (since β 6= 0 and β 4 6= 1),
so [F5 (β) : F5 ] > 1. On the other hand F5 (β) ⊂ K, so [F5 (β) : K]
divides 3, and hence [F5 (β) : K] = 3. Therefore deg(mβ,F5 ) = 3 and
g is divisible by mβ,F5 (since β is a root of g). Since each of these
cubic irreducible polynomials has 3 of the 30 roots of g as its roots
(namely β, β 5 , β 25 ), it follows that there are 10 such polynomials.
B9. a) Prove that if α ∈ C is a root of the polynomial X 5 − 15X + 3, then
Q(α) is not solvable by radicals over Q.
Solution: First note that f (X) = X 5 −15X +3 satisfies Eisenstein’s
Criterion with p = 3, so f is irreducible in Q[X].
We claim that f has exactly three real roots. To see this, note that

f 0 (X) = 5X 4 − 15 = 5(X 4 − 3)

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 √
has exactly two real roots: ± 4 3. Since√f (X) → √ ±∞ as X → ±∞, it
4 4
follows that√ f is
√ increasing on (−∞,
√ − 3)
√ and ( 3, ∞) and decreas-
√
4 4 4 4
ing on
√ (− 3, 3). Since f (− 3) = 12 3 + 3 > 0, and f ( 4 3) =
−12 4 3 + 3 < 0, it follows that f has exactly one real root in each of
the 3 intervals.
By results from lecture, we know that Gal(Lf /Q) is isomorphic to
a transitive subgroup of S5 ; in particular it has order divisible by 5
and therefore its image in S5 contains a 5-cycle. Furthermore since
complex conjugation defines an element of Gal(Lf /Q) which fixes
the 3 real roots and exchanges the other two, we know that the
image in S5 contains a transposition. Since S5 is generated by any
transposition and 5-cycle, it follows that Gal(Lf /Q) is isomorphic to
S5 , which is not solvable.
Since any extension of Q(α) which is Galois over Q contains a split-
ting field of f , it follows that Q(α) is not solvable over Q, and there-
fore not solvable by radicals over Q.
b) Let f be an irreducible polynomial of degree 5 in Q[X], and let g be
an irreducible polynomial of degree 6 in Q[X]. Suppose that f and
g have the same splitting field L over Q, and that the discriminant
∆f of f is a square in Q. Prove that Gal(L/Q) is isomorphic to A5 ,
and deduce that L is not solvable over Q.
Solution: Since f is irreducible in Q[X], we know that G = Gal(L/Q)
is isomorphic to a transitive subgroup of S5 ; in particular its order is
divisible by 5. Since ∆f is a square in Q, we know furthermore that
the image in S5 is contained in A5 .
On the other hand since L is a splitting field of g, which is irreducible
of degree 6, we know that #G = [L : Q] is divisible by 6. Therefore
#G is divisible by 30. Since #A5 = 60, either G is isomorphic to A5 ,
or a subgroup of A5 of order 30. Such a subgroup would have index
2 in A5 , and would therefore be normal in A5 . However the only
normal subgroups of A5 are {e} and A5 itself, so A5 has no subgroup
of order 30; therefore G is isomorphic to A5 .
Since A5 is not solvable, neither is G = Gal(L/Q), and therefore L
is not solvable over Q.