Let $\beta$ be a root of $x^8-3$ over $GF(17)$. Find all other roots in $GF(17)(\beta)$. What is the degree of $\beta$ over $GF(17)$?
My approach was to see for which $\alpha\in GF(17)$, $\alpha^8=1$ as then we have $(\alpha\beta)^8=\beta^8=3$ so $\alpha\beta$ is also a root.
This required extensive computation and the result is $\alpha=1,2,4,8,9,13,15,16$. There has to be a better way of doing this?
Similarly how can I conclude that the degree of $\beta$ over $GF(17)$ is $8$, other than by checking when $\beta^{17^n}=\beta$ for $n=1,\dots,8$.
Edit: For anybody looking, the answer to my second question is
$$\beta^{17^n}=2^{7n}\beta$$
$2^{7n}=1$ when $7n$ is a multiple of $8$. Since $7,8$ are co-prime, the smallest such $n=8$. So $x^8-3$ is the minimal polynomial of $\beta$ and hence irreducible. So the degree of $\beta$ over $GF(17)$ is $8$.
Note that $2^4 = -1$, so $2$ is a primitive eighth root of unity.
Therefore, if $\beta$ is one of the roots of $x^8-3$, then all the roots are $2^n \beta$.