Ivan Shishkin, Rye (1878)

Problems/FieldExerciseReviewed

Field extension of R\R of odd degree

by Ancient Tree·
37
Difficulty scaleÉchelle de difficulté

This score reflects both the level of the required concepts and the difficulty of the solution.Ce score tient compte à la fois du niveau des notions nécessaires et de la difficulté de la résolution.

  1. 110First steps / middle schoolPremiers pas / collège
  2. 1125Beginner / high schoolDébutant / lycée
  3. 2650Intermediate / undergraduateIntermédiaire / licence
  4. 5170Advanced / graduateAvancé / master
  5. 7190Expert / specializedExpert / spécialisé
  6. 91100Research levelNiveau recherche
These levels are approximate guides.Ces niveaux sont des repères approximatifs.
·
English
EnglishFrançais

Let EE be a field extension of R\R of odd degree. Show that E=RE=\R.

I solved itMark it doneAdd to my listKeep it in your list

Solutions

1
Reveal solutionsAre you sure? Give it a try first.

Solution by Ancient Tree

Discussions0 useful votes

Let xx be an element of EE, and let’s show that xRx\in \R. Consider the field R(x)\R(x). We have the tower of extensions:
RR(x)E.\R \subseteq \R (x) \subseteq E.By the Tower Law, we have that:
[E:R]=[R(x):R][E:R(x)][E:\R]=[\R(x):\R][E:\R(x)]but since RE\R \subseteq E is supposed to be of odd degree, by definition, [E:R][E:\R] is odd, so both factors [R(x):R][\R(x):\R] and [E:R(x)][E:\R(x)] are odd.
Now let PP be the minimal polynomial of xx over R\R. Its degree is equal to [R(x):R][\R(x):\R]. In other words, PP is a polynomial of odd degree. According to a corollary of the Intermediate Value Theorem, this means that PP admits a real root α\alpha, hence it is divisible by (Xα)(X-\alpha) in R\R. But it was supposed to be irreducible. The only option is that P(X)=XαP(X)=X-\alpha, and so x=αx=\alpha, meaning that xx is a real number.

Report

For an unclear, ambiguous, or possibly incorrect statement, please use the Discussion tab on the right. Report content that needs moderator intervention, such as dangerous, clearly non-mathematical, or plagiarized content.