Calculating the splitting field of this polynomial

59 Views Asked by At

I was wondering if anyone could check to see if i have done the following problem correct.

I want to find the splitting Field for $f(x)$ over $\mathbb Q$, $E$ say, and also evaluate $[E:\mathbb Q]$

Let $f(x)=x^{7}+3$

EDIT:

The roots of $x^{7}+3$ are the seven, $7$-th roots of $-3$. Now since $7$ is odd, $\exists$ a real $7$-th root of $-3$, namely $-(\sqrt[7]{3})$. Let $\alpha=-(\sqrt[7]{3})$. Let $\omega=e^{\frac{2\pi i}{7}}$ (a primitive root $7$-th root of unity. Then the seven,$7$-th roots of $-3$ are $\alpha,\alpha\omega,\alpha\omega^{2},\alpha\omega^{3},\alpha\omega^{4}...\alpha\omega^{6}$. Thus $\mathbb E=\mathbb Q(\alpha,\omega)$

Now to evaluate $[\mathbb E:\mathbb Q]=[\mathbb E:\mathbb Q(\omega)][\mathbb Q(\omega):\mathbb Q]$

So first calculating $[\mathbb Q(\omega):\mathbb Q]$.

First note that $f(x)$ is monic and also irreducible using E.I.T with prime $3$.This shows that $[\mathbb Q(\omega):\mathbb Q]=\deg f(x)=7$

Now calculating $[\mathbb E:\mathbb Q(\omega)]$.

So, now note that $\mathbb E=\mathbb Q(\alpha,\omega)$ and $x^{7}-1$ is the minimum polynomial of $\omega$ over $\mathbb Q(\alpha)$. This is because $\mathbb Q(\alpha)$ contains only real numbers and $x^{7}-1$ has only non-real solutions. Thus $[\mathbb E:\mathbb Q(\omega)]=\deg(x^{7}-1)=\deg \Phi_{7}(x)=6$. Thus $[\mathbb E:\mathbb Q]=6*7=42$.

1

There are 1 best solutions below

6
On

You need the $\;7\,-$ th roots of $\;-3=3e^{\pi i+2k\pi i},\,\,k\in\Bbb Z\;$ , and these are the seven numbers

$$z_k=\sqrt[7]3\,e^{\frac{\pi i}7\left(1+2k\right)}\;,\;\;k=0,1,2,...,6$$

Observe that $\;\zeta_7:=e^{\frac{\pi i}7}\;$ is a primitive unit root of order $\;7\;$ , so your polynomial's roots are

$$z_k:=\sqrt[7]{-3}\,\zeta_7^k\;,\;\;k=0,1,...,6$$

and from here you get a rasonably easy way to express the splitting field:

$$\Bbb E=\Bbb Q\left(\sqrt[7]{-3}\,,\,\,\zeta_7\right)$$

and its $\;\Bbb Q\,-$ dimension is $\;[\Bbb E:\Bbb Q(\zeta_7)][\Bbb Q(\zeta_7):\Bbb Q]=7\cdot6=42\;$

Your calculations are fine up to the point when you try to determine the splitting field since

$$\;\color{red}{(-i\sqrt[7]3)^7}=-\left(i\sqrt[7]3\right)^7=-i^7\cdot3=-3i\color{red}{\neq-3}\,\ldots\;$$

$$$$