Questions tagged [galois-theory]
Galois theory, named after Évariste Galois, provides a connection between field theory and group theory. Using Galois theory, certain problems in field theory can be reduced to group theory, which is, in some sense, simpler and better understood.
850 questions
4
votes
1
answer
2k
views
minimal polynomials of trig functions of ($k \pi/p$) and divisibility of coefficients by p
Take an odd prime $p$ and put $x_0:=\sum\limits_{j=0}^{p-1}\left(a_{j}\sqrt{p}\cos\dfrac{j\pi}p+b_{j}\sin\dfrac{j\pi}p +c_{j}\tan\dfrac{j\pi}p\right)$, where the $a_{ij}$ are integers. If $f$ denotes ...
4
votes
0
answers
1k
views
Cubic polynomials with "nice" roots, which can be expressed by trig functions of rational angles
Consider the cubic polynomial $x^3-ax+b$ for $a,b\in\mathbb N$.
It has three real roots which, by Cardano's formula, can of course be written in closed form using thirds of angles or cube roots of ...
8
votes
0
answers
376
views
Cutting and pasting in Galois theory
I want to ask who was the first to use cut-paste construction in Galois theory.
This question is motivated from the trend in contemporary Galois theory to use patching methods to construct Galois ...
1
vote
1
answer
263
views
Is the other extreme of Hilbert Irreducibility true?
Let $K$ be a number field (or perhaps more generally a Hilbertian field). Let $X_K\rightarrow \mathbb{P}^1_K$ be a regular (i.e. without extension of scalars) $G$-Galois branched cover. Hilbert's ...
8
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Symplectic groups $Sp_{2m}(2)$ as $2$-transitive permutation (i.e. Galois) groups
I am looking for information about the symplectic groups $Sp_{2m}(2)$ as permutation group acting on quadratic forms.
Consider the block matrices
$$e=\begin{pmatrix}0&1\\0&0\end{pmatrix}, \...
19
votes
1
answer
2k
views
"The Galois group of $\pi$ is $\mathbb{Z}$."
Last year, in a talk of Michel Waldschmidt's, I remember hearing a statement along the lines of the title of this question, that is, "The Galois group of $\pi$ is $\mathbb{Z}$.". In what sense/...
0
votes
1
answer
410
views
The image of generator under an automorphism of a cyclic function field
I'm reading the proof of Lemma 4.1 [1] which says:
"Let $F = K(x,y), y^q = f(x)$, where $q$ is a prime different from characteristic of $K$.
Let $Z := Gal(F/K(x))$ and we have $Z < G < Aut(F/K)$...
0
votes
1
answer
493
views
A question related to Hilbert's Irreducibility Theorem
My question is whether for every extension of number fields $L\subset K$, and for every $f_0(x),...,f_n(x)$ in $K[x]$, there is some $\alpha\in L$ such that $$f_n(\alpha)T^n+...+f_1(\alpha)T+f_0(\...
26
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Solving the cubic by "radicals" in characteristics 2 and 3
This question has no justification other than a bit of fun.
We all know that the cubic is solvable by "radicals" ($\root2\of{}$ and $\root3\of{}$) in characteristics $\neq2,3$. The formula was ...
11
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Can we always find such an irreducible polynomial of degree n where degree(p(x)-x^n)<= n/2?
Consider unitary polynomials of degree $n$ over $GF(2)$. That is, polynomials of the form $p(x) = \sum_{i=0}^n a_i x^i$ where $a_i\in GF(2)$ and $a_n=1$.
Can we always find such an irreducible ...
5
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Constructive proof of algebraic elements forming a subfield
Let $F \leqslant E$ be a field extension.
If $a, b \in E$ are algebraic over $F$ then $a+b$ and $ab$ are algebraic as well. There is an short proof of this using the extension $E(a,b)$:
$[E(a,b):E]$ ...
30
votes
2
answers
4k
views
Galois theory for polynomials in several variables
I feel a bit ashamed to ask the following question here.
What is (actually, is there) Galois
theory for polynomials in
$n$-variables for $n\geq2$?
I am preparing a large audience talk on Lie ...
1
vote
1
answer
1k
views
What does Gal(Q_p/Q) mean? [closed]
What does
$\mathrm{Gal}(\overline{\mathbb{Q}}_{p}/\mathbb{Q})$ mean? ($p$ is a prime number.)
If it is defined as $\mathrm{Aut}(\overline{\mathbb{Q}}_{p}/\mathbb{Q})$, then does it have any property ...
10
votes
0
answers
1k
views
Automorphisms of local fields
It is an amusing coincidence (at least it appears to be a coincidence to me) that any completion of the field $\mathbb{Q}$ has trivial automorphism group as an abstract field, i.e. when ignoring the ...
20
votes
2
answers
5k
views
Why should the anabelian geometry conjectures be true?
I had probed friends of mine about Grothendieck's motivation for making the anabelian geometry conjectures, and they gave me the following explanation:
If $X$ is a hyperbolic curve over some field $K$...
7
votes
1
answer
578
views
Galois groups at closed points from Galois group at generic point?
Consider the finite map $\mathbb{A}^1_\mathbb{Q}\rightarrow \mathbb{A}^1_\mathbb{Q}$ given by $z\mapsto z^5-z$. The fiber over generic point is the field extension $\mathbb{Q}(t)[z]/(z^5-z-t)$ over $\...
47
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Which small finite simple groups are not yet known to be Galois groups over Q?
The subject line pretty much says it all. To expand just a little bit:
1) What is the smallest simple group that is not yet known to occur as a Galois group over $\mathbb{Q}$? (Variants: not known ...
-4
votes
2
answers
2k
views
what part of using vieta's formulas violates quintic non-solvability? [closed]
You can write the n roots of an n degree polynomial in terms of its n coefficients, i.e., "Vieta's" formulas.
You can solve this system of nonlinear equations using Newton's method and the Jacobian. ...
13
votes
5
answers
2k
views
Galois theory and algorithms
Steven Weintraub's book {\em A Guide to Advanced Linear Algebra} includes the following remark:
"Of course, there is no algorithm for factoring polynomials, as we know from Galois theory."
I can't ...
3
votes
1
answer
741
views
What is the general statement of Hilbert 90?
I know two generalizations of Hilbert 90, but I don't if there is a statement that contains both:
The first statement
Let $K$ be a field, then $H^1(Gal(K), GL_n(K^{sep}))=0$.
The second statement
Let $...
6
votes
1
answer
985
views
Quadratic extension of quadratic extension
Let $K_1$ be a perfect field. Let $K_2/K_1$ and $K_3/K_2$ be quadratic extensions. Let $K_4/K_3$ be the Galois closure of $K_3$ over $K_1$. Is it true that either $K_3 = K_4$ or $K_4/K_3$ is quadratic ...
0
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Multiplication of matrices in GF(2) and R
$H$ is an $n \times n$ matrix with elements in $ \{ -1,1 \}$
$G$ is an $n \times k$ matrix with elements in $GF(2)$ and also upper triangular, invertable
$m$ is an $k \times 1$ vector with elements ...
26
votes
1
answer
2k
views
More on "Transalgebraic Theories" (a 19th century yoga)?
Among the talks at occasion of the Galois Bicentennial, one is about "Transalgebraic Theories". Unfortunately I found only this article describing that fascinating idea as " an extremely powerful '...
2
votes
1
answer
652
views
Searching for polynomials with squarefree discriminant
In connection with the Galois theoretic results surrounding the irreducibility of $f(x)= x^{N}-x-1$ over $\mathbb{Q}$, I've been trying to prove for a while that the discriminant of $f$ is actually ...
11
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Is there an alternative formula for solving cubic equations?
It is known that Cardano's formula for solving cubic equations is not good in the case of positive discriminants. In this case it expresses the solution through cubic roots of complex numbers. ...
14
votes
4
answers
3k
views
$Q(\sqrt{2})=Q((\sqrt{2}+1)^n)$
Observe that we have $Q(\sqrt{2})=Q((\sqrt{2}+1)^n)$.
More generally, assume that $K$ is a finite extension of Q. Is there any $\alpha \in K$ such that $K=Q(\alpha^n)$ for every $n \in N$?
6
votes
2
answers
2k
views
A family of polynomials with symmetric galois group
Consider the following family of polynomials in $K[x,y]$, where $K$ has characteristic zero:
$f_n(x,y)=(x+y)^n+(x-1)y^n,$
for $n\geq 3$. I can prove that $f_n(x,y)$ has an irreducible factor of ...
9
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Motivation for the proof of Hilbert's Theorem 90
The proof of Hilbert's Theorem 90 about cyclic extensions goes like this: Let $\sigma$ be the generator of the Galois group of order $n$ and let $b$ have norm $1$, i.e. $b \sigma(b) \cdots \sigma^{n-1}...
10
votes
2
answers
1k
views
What Dirichlet doesn't tell...
Let $n>1$ be an integer, and let us consider the set $P(n)$ of all prime numbers $p$ such that $p$ is not congruent to $1$ modulo $n$. Dirichlet's Density Theorem tells us that $P(n)$ has a natural ...
4
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Galois connections
I've been experiencing minor qualms about my preprint "A Galois Connection in the Social Network" (accepted by Mathematics Magazine, pending revisions), and one of them involves the way I describe the ...
19
votes
2
answers
3k
views
What are the different theories that the motivic fundamental group attempts to unify?
I must preface by confessing complete ignorance in the subject. I've read introductory texts about the theory of motives, but I am certainly no expert.
In http://www.math.ias.edu/files/deligne/...
5
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Galois groups of number fields
It seems that it is conjectured, that the absolute Galois group of a number field determines already the number field up to isomorphism.
I would like to know if there is a profinite group G such that ...
11
votes
3
answers
1k
views
What is the purpose of tangential base-points?
Let $V$ be an affine complex variety. Let $x \in V$ be a closed point. Then a tangential base-point at $x$ is $x$ together with a regular function $t$ on $V$ that is zero exactly on $x$ (to degree $1$)...
6
votes
2
answers
532
views
Expressing Galois actions on fundamental groups explicitly
Let $X$ be some variety over $\mathbb{Q}$, and let $\pi_1(X\times_{\mathbb{Q}}\mathbb{C},x)$ denote its (topological) fundamental group. As is well known $Gal(\mathbb{Q})$ acts on this fundamental ...
2
votes
1
answer
202
views
In Riemann Existence, what is the interpretation of the space of complex-geometric points?
I've been thinking recently about moduli spaces defined over $\mathbb{Z}$, and this led me to the following question:
Question
Riemann existence says that if we have a variety over $\mathbb{C}$, $X_{...
26
votes
5
answers
4k
views
Grothendieck's Galois theory without finiteness hypotheses
This is motivated by the discussion here. The usual definition of the etale fundamental group (as in SGA 1) gives automatic profiniteness: Grothendieck's formulation of Galois theory states that any ...
18
votes
1
answer
2k
views
On the inverse Galois problem
Q: What is the "simplest" finite group $G$ for which we don't know how to realise it as a Galois group over $\mathbf{Q}$ ?
So here the word simplest might be interpreted in a broad sense. If you ...
9
votes
1
answer
841
views
Splitting a polynomial with one root
Suppose we have an irreducible polynomial $f\in K[x]$. Is there some way to sometimes tell whether $f$ splits completely after adjoining just one root of $f$ to $K$?
I am mostly interested in the ...
11
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Extensions obtained adding torsion points of an elliptic curve
When adding to the rational the $p$-torsion points $E[p]$ of an elliptic curve we obtain an extension containing the $p$-th roots of the unity, and whose Galois group can be embedded in $GL(2, \mathbb{...
5
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Effective Chebotarev density results for arbitrary number fields
So let $f(x)\in\mathbf{Z}[x]$ be a monic polynomial of degree $d$ and let $K$ be the splitting field of $f$. Let us define
the "heigt of $f$" $:=||f||$ to be the maximum of the abolute values of
the ...
10
votes
2
answers
1k
views
On the field of invariants of a finite group
So let $G$ be a finite group and let $\iota:G\rightarrow S_n$ be an embedding of $G$ in a symmetric group of degree $n$ for some fixed integer $n$. Let $K$ be a fixed field of characteristic $0$. The ...
8
votes
1
answer
1k
views
What is a "best" transcendence basis for R/Q ?
It is easy to show, using the axiom of Zorn, that there exists a transcendence basis for $\mathbb{R}/\mathbb{Q}$, i.e. a set $S$, algebraically independent over $\mathbb{Q}$, such that $\mathbb{R}/\...
2
votes
1
answer
292
views
nth-powers and degree n polynomials with coefficients in field extensions
Hi,
Suppose that $E/F$ is a Galois extension. If $P(X)\in E[X]$ is a (EDIT: monic) polynomial of
degree $n > 0$, such that $P(X)^n\in F[X]$, does it follow that $P(X)\in F[X]$?
Thanks
15
votes
3
answers
4k
views
Elementary Luroth theorem proof?
Hi, everyone!
I'm trying to explain the proof of Luroth theorem (every field $L$, s.t. $K\subset L\subset K(t)$, is isomorphic to $K(t)$) to the high-school audience. I'm not going to use such ...
27
votes
4
answers
4k
views
Is the Leopoldt conjecture almost always true?
The famous Leopoldt conjecture asserts that for any number field $F$ and any prime $p$, the $p$-adic regulator of $F$ is nonzero. This is known to be equivalent to the vanishing of $H^2(G_{F'/F},\...
14
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Is the etale fundamental group of Spec(Z)\{p_1,...,p_n} finitely presented?
(of course not, it's usually uncountable; I really mean is it the profinite completion of a finitely presented group).
By definition, $\pi_1^{\operatorname{et}}(\operatorname{Spec}(\mathbb Z)\...
3
votes
0
answers
603
views
Norms in Galois extensions
Let $k$ be a field of characteristic 0, and $\overline k$ be a fixed algebraic closure of $k$.
Let $k\subset F\subset E$ be a tower of finite Galois extensions in $\overline k$,
where both $\mathrm{...
141
votes
0
answers
13k
views
Grothendieck-Teichmüller conjecture
(1) In "Esquisse d'un programme", Grothendieck conjectures
Grothendieck-Teichmüller conjecture: the morphism
$$
G_{\mathbb{Q}} \longrightarrow Aut(\widehat{T})
$$
is an isomorphism.
Here $...
13
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Where is a good place to start learning about the Grothendieck-Teichmuller group?
I've had a desire to get some sort of handle on the Grothendeick-Teichmuller group for years now, but I've always felt that I could never find a source that was introductory and readable.
The obvious ...
5
votes
1
answer
460
views
Given a branched cover with branch cycle description $(g_1,...,g_r)$, does $g_i$ generate some decomposition group?
Classically:
Let $a_1,...,a_r$ be points in $\mathbb{P}^1_{\mathbb{C}}$, and let $\alpha_1,...,\alpha_r$ be simple loops around the $a_i$, all counterclockwise, and none touching (so $\alpha_1...\...