Paper 3, Section II, I

Galois Theory
Part II, 2018

Let LL be a finite field extension of a field KK, and let GG be a finite group of KK automorphisms of LL. Denote by LGL^{G} the field of elements of LL fixed by the action of GG.

(a) Prove that the degree of LL over LGL^{G} is equal to the order of the group GG.

(b) For any αL\alpha \in L write f(t,α)=ΠgG(tg(α))f(t, \alpha)=\Pi_{g \in G}(t-g(\alpha)).

(i) Suppose that L=K(α)L=K(\alpha). Prove that the coefficients of f(t,α)f(t, \alpha) generate LGL^{G} over KK.

(ii) Suppose that L=K(α1,α2)L=K\left(\alpha_{1}, \alpha_{2}\right). Prove that the coefficients of f(t,α1)f\left(t, \alpha_{1}\right) and f(t,α2)f\left(t, \alpha_{2}\right) lie in LGL^{G}. By considering the case L=K(a11/2,a21/2)L=K\left(a_{1}^{1 / 2}, a_{2}^{1 / 2}\right) with a1a_{1} and a2a_{2} in KK, or otherwise, show that they need not generate LGL^{G} over KK.