B1.7

Galois Theory
Part II, 2004

Let L/KL / K be a finite extension of fields. Define the trace TrL/K(x)\operatorname{Tr}_{L / K}(x) and norm NL/K(x)N_{L / K}(x) of an element xLx \in L.

Assume now that the extension L/KL / K is Galois, with cyclic Galois group of prime order pp, generated by σ\sigma.

i) Show that TrL/K(x)=n=0p1σn(x)\operatorname{Tr}_{L / K}(x)=\sum_{n=0}^{p-1} \sigma^{n}(x).

ii) Show that {σ(x)xxL}\{\sigma(x)-x \mid x \in L\} is a KK-vector subspace of LL of dimension p1p-1. Deduce that if yLy \in L, then TrL/K(y)=0\operatorname{Tr}_{L / K}(y)=0 if and only if y=σ(x)xy=\sigma(x)-x for some xLx \in L. [You may assume without proof that TrL/K\operatorname{Tr}_{L / K} is surjective for any finite separable extension L/KL / K.]

iii) Suppose that LL has characteristic pp. Deduce from (i) that every element of KK can be written as σ(x)x\sigma(x)-x for some xLx \in L. Show also that if σ(x)=x+1\sigma(x)=x+1, then xpxx^{p}-x belongs to KK. Deduce that LL is the splitting field over KK of XpXaX^{p}-X-a for some aKa \in K.