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In mathematics, a Kummer extension of fields is a field extension
- L/K
where for some given integer n > 1 we have [L:K] = n and
- L is generated over K by a root of a polynomial Xn − a with
a in K, and
- K contains n distinct roots of
Xn − 1.
For example, when n = 2, the second condition is always true if K has characteristic ≠ 2. The Kummer extensions in this case are all quadratic
extensions
- L = K(√a)
where a in K is a non-square element. By the usual solution of quadratic equations, any extension of degree 2 of K has this form. When K has
characteristic 2, there are no such Kummer extensions.
Taking n = 3, there are no degree three Kummer extensions of the rational number field Q, since for three cube roots of 1 complex numbers are required. If one takes L to be the splitting field of
Xn − a over Q, where a is not a cube in the rational numbers, then
L contains a subfield K with three cube roots of 1; that is because if α and β are roots of the cubic
polynomial, we shall have
- (α/β)3 = 1,
and the cubic is a separable polynomial. Then
L/K is a Kummer extension.
More generally, it is true that when K contains n distinct roots of unity, which implies that the
characteristic of K doesn't divide n, then adjoining to K the n-th root of any element
a of K creates a Kummer extension (of degree m, for some m dividing n). All such
extensions are Galois, with Galois group that is cyclic of order m. In fact
it is easy to track the Galois action via the root of unity in front
of
- n√a.
Kummer theory provides converse statements. When K contains n distinct roots of unity, it
states that any cyclic extension of K of degree n
is formed by extraction of an n-th root. Further, if K× denotes the multiplicative group of non-zero
elements of K, the isomorphism classes of cyclic extensions of K of degree n correspond bijectively
with
- K×/(K×)n,
that is, elements of K× modulo n-th powers.
Kummer theory is basic, for example, in class field theory
and in general in understanding abelian extensions; it says that
in the presence of enough roots of unity, cyclic extensions can be understood in terms of extracting roots. The main burden in
class field theory is to dispense with extra roots of unity ('descending' back to smaller fields); which is something much more
serious.
The theory of cyclic extensions when the characteristic of K does divide n is called Artin-Scheier theory.
See also
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