All Questions
Tagged with nt.number-theory ac.commutative-algebra
360 questions
84
votes
31
answers
70k
views
Applications of the Chinese remainder theorem
As the title suggests I am interested in CRT applications. Wikipedia article on CRT lists some of the well known applications (e.g. used in the RSA algorithm, used to construct an elegant Gödel ...
78
votes
9
answers
26k
views
Irreducibility of polynomials in two variables
Let $k$ be a field. I am interested in sufficient criteria for $f \in k[x,y]$ to be irreducible. An example is Theorem A of this paper (Brindza and Pintér, On the irreducibility of some polynomials in ...
- 30.5k
74
votes
3
answers
7k
views
Is there a "purely algebraic" proof of the finiteness of the class number?
The background is as follows: I have been whittling away at my commutative algebra notes (or, rather at commutative algebra itself, I suppose) recently for the occasion of a course I will be teaching ...
- 65.4k
47
votes
2
answers
5k
views
Why do we care whether a PID admits some crazy Euclidean norm?
An integral domain $R$ is said to be Euclidean if it admits some Euclidean norm: i.e., a function $N: R \rightarrow \mathbb{N} = \mathbb{Z}^{\geq 0}$ such that: for all $x, y \in R$ with $N(y) > 0$,...
- 65.4k
36
votes
4
answers
5k
views
What is interesting/useful about big Witt Vectors?
$p$-typical Witt vectors are (among other things) a canonical way of associating to a perfect ring $A$ of characteristic $p$ a complete DVR of characteristic $0$ with residue ring $A$ generalizing $\...
- 10.5k
33
votes
3
answers
6k
views
Are surjectivity and injectivity of polynomial functions from $\mathbb{Q}^n$ to $\mathbb{Q}$ algorithmically decidable?
Is there an algorithm which, given a polynomial $f \in \mathbb{Q}[x_1, \dots, x_n]$,
decides whether the mapping $f: \mathbb{Q}^n \rightarrow \mathbb{Q}$ is surjective,
respectively, injective? --
And ...
- 19.6k
28
votes
1
answer
2k
views
SOS polynomials with integer coefficients
A well known theorem of Polya and Szego says that every non-negative univariate polynomial $p(x)$ can be expressed as the sum of exactly two squares: $p(x) = (f(x))^2 + (g(x))^2$ for some $f, g$. ...
- 1,703
28
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Why is "h" the notation for class numbers?
A student asked me why $\mathcal{O}_K$ is the notation used for the ring of integers in a number field $K$ and why $h$ is the notation for class numbers. I was able to tell him the origin of $\...
- 50.6k
28
votes
2
answers
2k
views
A sum involving roots of unity
Let $n$ be a positive integer and $\zeta$ be a primitive $n$th root of unity. It is not hard to show that
\begin{align*}
\sum_{k=1}^{n-1}\frac{\zeta^k}{1-\zeta^k}=\frac{1-n}{2}.
\end{align*}
Since $\...
- 2,183
27
votes
5
answers
3k
views
Class number measuring the failure of unique factorization
The statement that the class number measures the failure of the ring of integers to be a ufd is very common in books. ufd iff class number is 1. This inspires the following question:
Is there a ...
- 4,593
26
votes
1
answer
4k
views
Underlying structure behind the infamous IMO 1988 Problem 6
This is the infamous Problem 6 from the 1988 IMO which has recently been popularised by the YouTube channel Numberphile:
Let $a$ and $b$ be positive integers such that $ab + 1$ divides $a^{2} + b^{...
user117786
25
votes
3
answers
2k
views
product of all F_p, p prime
Let $R$ be the ring $$R = \prod_{p\ \text{prime}} \mathbb{F}_p$$ where $\mathbb{F}_p$ is the field having $p$ elements.
Is it true that $R$ has a quotient by a maximal ideal which is a field of ...
- 5,163
24
votes
6
answers
5k
views
Pythagorean 5-tuples
What is the solution of the equation $x^2+y^2+z^2+t^2=w^2$ in polynomials over C ("Pythagorean 5-tuples")?
There are simple formulas describing Pythagorean n-tuples for n=3,4,6:
n=3. The formula ...
- 1,488
24
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Can one prove the elementary divisor theorem for PIDs by elementary matrix operations?
The elementary divisor theorem was originally proved by a calculation on integer matrices, using elementary (invertible) row and column operations to put the matrix into Smith normal form. That is ...
- 11.1k
22
votes
6
answers
8k
views
A finitely generated $\mathbb{Z}$-algebra that is a field has to be finite
I was trying to understand completely the post of Terrence Tao on Ax-Grothendieck theorem. This is very cute. Using finite fields you prove that every injective polynomial map $\mathbb C^n\to \mathbb ...
- 14.3k
22
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Two questions about finiteness of ideal classes in abstract number rings
Let us say that an abstract number ring is an integral domain $R$ which is not a field, and which has the "finite norms" property: for any nonzero ideal $I$ of $R$, the quotient $R/I$ is finite.
(I ...
- 65.4k
20
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Is there a choice-free proof that a Euclidean domain is a UFD?
I asked this question about a week ago on math.SE, without any answers. My motivation is pedagogical, but maybe the question comes closer to research-level than I thought.
The proof (at least the ...
- 11.4k
19
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Examples of solid abelian groups
I am reading through Clausen's and Scholze's Lectures on condensed mathematics. I am struggling to understand the concept of solid abelian groups so I am looking for some examples.
Is the underlying ...
- 455
19
votes
3
answers
4k
views
Generalized Euler phi function
Let $n$ be an integer, there is a well-known formula for $\varphi(n)$ where $\varphi$ is the Euler phi function. Essentially, $\varphi(n)$ gives the number of invertible elements in $\mathbb{Z}/n\...
- 337
19
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Has anything ever been done with the set $\{1,2,3,4,\ldots\}$ equipped with the operation $a \oplus b = a+b-1$ and the usual notion of multiplication?
Definition. $$\mathbb{J} = \{1,2,3,\ldots\}.$$
We can refer to the elements of $\mathbb{J}$ as "joiners."
The product of joiners is inherited from $\mathbb{Z}$.
The sum of joiners will be ...
- 3,793
19
votes
2
answers
565
views
Ostrowski's Theorem for topological rings?
Ostrowski's theorem classifies all absolute values on a number field $K$.
Questions:
More generally, can one classify all Hausdorff topologies on $K$ making $K$ into a topological field?
In ...
- 63.9k
18
votes
5
answers
8k
views
Is $x^p-x+1$ always irreducible in $\mathbb F_p[x]$?
It seems that for any prime number $p$ and for any non-zero element $a$ in the finite field $\mathbb F_p$, the polynomial $x^p-x+a$ is irreducible over $\mathbb F_p$. (It is of course obvious that ...
- 17.9k
18
votes
5
answers
2k
views
Is a complete homogeneous symmetric polynomial irreducible?
Let $S=\mathbb{C}[x_1,x_2,\dots,x_n]$ be a polynomial ring. Let $n \geq 3$. Let $h_a$ denotes the complete homogeneous symmetric polynomial of degree $a$.
$$ h_a=\text{ sum of all monomials of degree }...
- 446
17
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Is there a name for this property Weil saw for integer polynomials?
Andre Weil noticed as a student in 1925 that the polynomial ring $\mathbb{Z}[x]$ comes close to being a PID, and he describes this as `` the embryo of my future thesis.''
He observed that, given $f(...
- 11.1k
17
votes
1
answer
687
views
Multiply an integer polynomial with another integer polynomial to get a "big" coefficient
I have copied this question from StackExchange, in the hope that some experts here can provide some relevant insight. Thanks to Greg Martin for improving the question.
Given $f(x) = a_0 + a_1 x + a_2 ...
- 823
17
votes
1
answer
636
views
How many ways can one cover $\mathbb Q_p$ with the images of polynomials?
Define a finite set of polynomials over a field $K$ to cover $K$ if the images of the polynomials, viewed as functions from $K$ to itself, have union the whole set.
Define a minimal cover to be a ...
- 148k
16
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Quotients of number rings
Hi,
Here's a question that comes up every now and then. Of course, the quotient of a number ring (ring of integers of a number field) by an ideal $I$ is a finite (Artin) ring. If we take $I$ to be ...
- 385
16
votes
6
answers
1k
views
Solving polynomial equations when you know in which number field the solutions live
Suppose I have a bunch of polynomial equations with coefficients in a number field, and suppose further that I'm guaranteed a priori that they have a solution in that number field. Can I leverage ...
- 28.1k
15
votes
6
answers
1k
views
Conjugacy for $p$-adic matrices of finite order
$\DeclareMathOperator\GL{GL}$Say $p$ is an odd prime, and take two matrices $A,B\in \GL_n({\mathbb Z}_p)$ of finite order $m$. Is it true that they are conjugate in $\GL_n({\mathbb Z}_p)$ if and only ...
- 5,363
15
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Can you use Chevalley‒Warning to prove existence of a solution?
Recall the Chevalley‒Warning theorem:
Theorem. Let $f_1, \ldots, f_r \in \mathbb F_q[x_1,\ldots,x_n]$ be polynomials of degrees $d_1, \ldots, d_r$. If
$$d_1 + \ldots + d_r < n,$$
then the ...
- 28.7k
15
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Integer valued polynomials and polynomials with integer coefficients
It is well known that the subring $S$ of integer valued polynomials ${\mathbb Q}[x]$ is generated by the binomial functions $P_n={x \choose n}$. One can ask a dual question: how to characterize the ...
- 1,526
15
votes
0
answers
376
views
Reducible polynomials of the shape $f(t^2)$, where $f$ is irreducible
Let $f(x) \in \mathbb{Z}[x]$ be a monic, irreducible polynomial. What are necessary and sufficient conditions for $g(t) = f(t^2)$ to be reducible over $\mathbb{Q}$?
For instance, if $f(x) = x-1$ then $...
- 26.9k
15
votes
0
answers
718
views
Bloch-Kato conjecture and Wiles' numerical criterion
I already asked this question some days ago on https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/158747/bloch-kato-conjecture-and-wiles-numerical-criterion but didn't receive any response.
In the ...
- 16.2k
14
votes
2
answers
1k
views
About integer polynomials which are sums of squares of rational polynomials...
I have the following question for which I haven't been able to find any reference or proof.
Suppose we know that a univariate polynomial $P(X)$ with integer coefficients is the sum of squares of two ...
14
votes
3
answers
3k
views
non-Dedekind Domain in which every ideal is generated by at most two elements
Does anyone know of such a domain?
- 467
14
votes
1
answer
2k
views
How to visualize the Frobenius endomorphism?
As the question title asks for, how do others "visualize" the Frobenius endomorphism? I asked some people in real life and they said they didn't know and that I could go and ask on MO and possibly get ...
14
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Some questions about the ring Z((x))
$\newcommand{\ZZ}{\mathbb{Z}}$
$\newcommand{\dim}{\text{dim }}$
Let me begin by apologizing for the length of this question, but I thought this might be interesting to some of you. This ring isn't ...
- 10.7k
14
votes
1
answer
641
views
First order decidability of rings vs Diophantine decidability
Are there known (preferably ``concrete'') examples of a ring $R$ (commutative, with 1) such that:
$\bullet$ the first order theory of $R$ is undecidable, but
$\bullet$ the positive existential (= ...
- 19.6k
14
votes
1
answer
695
views
$\mathbb{Z}$-module structure of the subring generated by an algebraic number
Let $a$ and $b$ be algebraic numbers which are not necessarily algebraic integers. Is there some invariant that allows us to determine whether $\mathbb Z[a]$ and $\mathbb Z[b]$ are isomorphic as $\...
- 151
14
votes
0
answers
821
views
What goes wrong with this alternate proof of Dirichlet's Theorem?
I had an idea for an alternate proof of Dirichlet's theorem, but something goes wrong. Dirichlet's theorem on primes in arithmetic progression says that for $ m,a \in \mathbb{N} $ which are ...
- 782
13
votes
2
answers
875
views
Given an irreducible polynomial over $\mathbb{Z}$, how often is it irreducible modulo a prime?
Given a monic irreducible polynomial $f\in\mathbb{Z}[x]$, I'd like to know for how many primes p we have that $f \bmod p$ is irreducible.
In the link: How many primes stay inert in a finite (non-...
- 133
13
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Number of polynomials whose Galois group is a subgroup of the alternating group
Let $f = x^n + a_{n-1}x^n + \cdots + a_0$ be a monic polynomial of degree $n \geq 2$ with integer coefficients. By $\text{Gal}(f)$ we mean the Galois group over $\mathbb{Q}$ of the Galois closure of $...
- 26.9k
13
votes
1
answer
442
views
Is the identity function a unique multiplicative homeomorphism of $\mathbb N$?
Endow the set $\mathbb N$ of positive integers with the topology $\tau$ generated by the base consisting of arithmetic progressions $a+b\mathbb N_0$ where $\mathbb N_0=\{0\}\cup\mathbb N$, where $a,b\...
- 41.8k
13
votes
0
answers
542
views
When does the product equal the sum?
Let $R$ be a commutative ring with identity and $R^n$ be the direct sum of $R$. Find all $a_1, a_2, \cdots, a_n \in R$ such that $$a_1 + a_2 + \cdots + a_n = a_1a_2\cdots a_n,$$
or, in other words, if ...
- 1,549
13
votes
0
answers
501
views
Hensel lemma and rational points in complete noetherian local ring
Let $A$ be a complete noetherian local ring and $\mathfrak{m}$ be its maximal ideal.
If we have several polynomials $f_i \in A[X_1, \dots, X_m]$ which have a common zero $x_n$ in $A/\mathfrak{m}^n$ ...
- 6,622
12
votes
2
answers
820
views
Size of largest square divisor of a random integer
Let $x$ be an integer picked uniformly at random from $1 \ldots N$. Write $x = r^2 t$ where $t$ is square-free. How does the expected value of $r$ scale with $N$? Is anything known about the variance ...
- 1,703
12
votes
3
answers
547
views
Proving finite generation by tensoring with $\mathbb{R}$
In Chapter III, Theorem 7.4 of The Arithmetic of Elliptic Curves (first edition), Silverman gives the following lemma and proof:
Lemma: Let $M \subset Hom(E_1, E_2)$ be a finitely generated subgroup, ...
- 7,337
12
votes
1
answer
1k
views
An omission in K. Conrad's notes on the conductor ideal
I am referring to the very useful K. Conrad's notes on the conductor ideal of an order in a Dedekind domain: https://kconrad.math.uconn.edu/blurbs/gradnumthy/conductor.pdf
$\DeclareMathOperator\Cl{Cl}$...
- 675
12
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Subsets of the integers which are closed under multiplication
Let $S$ be a subset of the integers which is closed under multiplication. There are many possible choices of $S$:
$S = \{-1, 1\}$.
$S$ is the set of integers of the form $a^k$, where $a$ is fixed and ...
- 1,703
12
votes
4
answers
688
views
Conjugacy for p-adic matrices of finite order II
Question: Say $p$ is an odd prime, and take two matrices $A,B\in GL_n({\mathbb Z}_p)$ of finite order $m$. Is it true that if their reductions mod $p$ are conjugate in $GL_n({\mathbb F}_p)$ then they ...
- 5,363