Galois Theory: Third Edition

Ian Stewart
Table of Contents
Preface to the First Edition .. vii
Preface to the Second Edition ... ix
Preface to the Third Edition .. xi
Illustration Acknowledgments ..... xv
Historical Introduction ... xvii
Chapter 1: Classical Algebra ...... 1
1.1: Complex Numbers .......... 2
1.2: Subfields and Subrings of the Complex Numbers ...... 2
1.3: Solving Equations ........... 5
1.4: Solution by Radicals ....... 6
1.4.1: Linear Equations .......... 7
1.4.2: Quadratic Equations ......... 7
1.4.3: Cubic Equations ....7
1.4.4: Peculiarities of Cardanos Formula ..... 9
1.4.5: Quartic Equations .. 10
1.4.6: Quintic Equations .. 12
Chapter 2: The Fundamental Theorem of Algebra 17
2.1: Polynomials ...... 17
2.2: Fundamental Theorem of Algebra .... 21
2.3: Implications .. 26
Chapter 3: Factorization of Polynomials . 31
3.1: The Euclidean Algorithm ...... 31
3.2: Irreducibility ..... 36
3.3: Gauss Lemma ...... 39
3.4: Eisensteins Criterion ........ 40
3.5: Reduction Modulo p ......... 42
3.6: Zeros of Polynomials ........ 44
Chapter 4: Field Extensions .. 49
4.1: Field Extensions .... 49
4.2: Rational Expressions ..... 53
4.3: Simple Extensions ..... 54
Chapter 5: Simple Extensions ... 57
5.1: Algebraic and Transcendental Extensions .... 57
5.2: The Minimal Polynomial .......... 58
5.3: Simple Algebraic Extensions ........ 60
5.4: Classifying Simple Extensions ......... 62

Chapter 6: The Degree of an Extension ... 67

6.1: Definition of the Degree ... 67
6.2: The Tower Law ............. 68
Chapter 7: Ruler-and-Compass Constructions .. 75
7.1: Algebraic Formulation .......... 76
7.2: Impossibility Proofs ...... 80
Chapter 8: The Idea Behind Galois Theory .... 85
8.1: A First Look at Galois Theory ...... 85
8.2: Galois Groups According to Galois .. 86
8.3: And How to Use Them .... 88
8.4: The Abstract Setting ..... 89
8.5: Polynomials and Extensions ..... 90
8.6: The Galois Correspondence .. 92
8.7: Diet Galois ................ 94
8.8: Natural Irrationalities .... 99
Chapter 9: Normality and Separability ..... 107
9.1: Splitting Fields ........ 107
9.2: Normality ................ 110
9.3: Separability ............. 112
Chapter 10: Counting Principles .... 117
10.1: Linear Independence of Monomorphisms .... 117
Chapter 11: Field Automorphisms ..... 125
11.1: K-Monomorphisms ... 125
11.2: Normal Closures ... 127
Chapter 12: The Galois Correspondence .. 133
12.1: The Fundamental Theorem ... 133
Chapter 13: A Worked Example .... 137
Chapter 14: Solubility and Simplicity .... 143
14.1: Soluble Groups ..... 143
14.2: Simple Groups ...... 146
14.3: Cauchys Theorem .... 149
Chapter 15: Solution by Radicals ... 153
15.1: Radical Extensions .... 153
15.2: An Insoluble Quintic ..... 158
15.3: Other Methods ...... 160

Chapter 16: Abstract Rings and Fields .. 163

16.1: Rings and Fields ... 163
16.2: General Properties of Rings and Fields 166
16.3: Polynomials Over General Rings ..... 168
16.4: The Characteristic of a Field ..... 169
16.5: Integral Domains ... 171
Chapter 17: Abstract Field Extensions .. 177
17.1: Minimal Polynomials .... 177
17.2: Simple Algebraic Extensions .... 178
17.3: Splitting Fields ...... 180
17.5: Separability ........... 182
17.6: Galois Theory for Abstract Fields .... 187
Chapter 18: The General Polynomial .... 191
18.1: Transcendence Degrees ........ 191
18.2: Elementary Symmetric Polynomials .... 193
18.3: The General Polynomial ... 194
18.4: Cyclic Extensions ......... 197
18.5: Solving Quartic Extensions ...... 201
18.5.4: Quartic Equations .............. 202
18.5.5: Explicit Formulas ... 203
Chapter 19: Regular Polygons .... 209
19.1: What Euclid Knew .... 209
19.2: Which Constructions are Possible? ... 212
19.3: Regular Polygons ...... 215
19.4: Fermat Numbers ... 219
19.5: How to Draw a Regular 17-Gon ... 220
Chapter 20: Finite Fields ......... 227
20.1: Structure of Finite Fields .. 227
20.2: The Multiplicative Group ..... 228
20.3: Application to Solitaire ..... 230
Chapter 21: Circle Division ..... 233
21.1: Nontrivial Radicals ... 234
21.2: Fifth Roots Revisited .... 236
21.3: Vandermonde Revisited .... 239
21.4: The General Case ...... 240
21.5: Cyclotomic Polynomials ... 244
21.6: The Technical Lemma ...... 247
21.7: More on Cyclotomic Polynomials .... 248

Chapter 22: Calculating Galois Groups .... 251

22.1: Transitive Subgroups .... 251
22.2: Bare Hands on the Cubic ...... 252
22.3: The Discriminant ...... 255
22.4: General Algorithm .... 256
Chapter 23: Algebraically Closed Fields ... 261
23.1: Ordered Fields and their Extensions ..... 261
23.2: Sylows Theorem ...... 263
23.3: The Algebraic Proof ...... 265
Chapter 24: Transcendental Numbers ... 269
24.1: Irrationality ........... 270
24.2: Transcendence of e ....... 272
24.3: Transcendence of ... 274
References .................................. 279
Index .......................................... 283