16 Algebraic extensions of fields

If we adjoin a root α of an irreducible polynomial p ∈ K[x] to the field K we get an algebraic extension K(α), which is again a field. By Kronecker's construction, we may identify K(α) with the factor ring K[x]/(p), an identification that also provides a method for computing in these extension fields.

Currently GAP3 only allows extension fields of fields K, when K itself is not an extension field.

As it is planned to modify the representation of field extensions to unify vector space structures and to speed up computations, All information in this chapter is subject to change in future versions.

Subsections

  1. AlgebraicExtension
  2. IsAlgebraicExtension
  3. RootOf
  4. Algebraic Extension Elements
  5. Set functions for Algebraic Extensions
  6. IsNormalExtension
  7. MinpolFactors
  8. GaloisGroup for Extension Fields
  9. ExtensionAutomorphism
  10. Field functions for Algebraic Extensions
  11. Algebraic Extension Records
  12. Extension Element Records
  13. IsAlgebraicElement
  14. Algebraic extensions of the Rationals
  15. DefectApproximation
  16. GaloisType
  17. ProbabilityShapes
  18. DecomPoly

16.1 AlgebraicExtension

AlgebraicExtension( pol )

constructs the algebraic extension L corresponding to the polynomial pol. pol must be an irreducible polynomial defined over a ``defining'' field K. The elements of K are embedded into L in the canonical way. As L is a field, all field functions are applicable to L. Similarly, all field element functions apply to the elements of L.

L is considered implicitely to be a field over the subfield K. This means, that functions like Trace and Norm relative to subfields are not supported.

    gap> x:=X(Rationals);;x.name:="x";;
    gap> p:=x^4+3*x^2+1;
    x^4 + 3*x^2 + 1
    gap> e:=AlgebraicExtension(p);
    AlgebraicExtension(Rationals,x^4 + 3*x^2 + 1)
    gap> e.name:="e";;
    gap> IsField(e);
    true
    gap> y:=X(GF(2));;y.name:="y";;
    gap> q:=y^2+y+1;
    Z(2)^0*(y^2 + y + 1)
    gap> f:=AlgebraicExtension(q);
    AlgebraicExtension(GF(2),Z(2)^0*(y^2 + y + 1))

16.2 IsAlgebraicExtension

IsAlgebraicExtension( D )

IsAlgebraicExtension returns true if the object D is an algebraic field extension and false otherwise.

More precisely, IsAlgebraicExtension tests whether D is an algebraic field extension record (see Algebraic Extension Records). So, for example, a matrix ring may in fact be a field extension, yet IsAlgebraicExtension would return false.

    gap> IsAlgebraicExtension(e);
    true
    gap> IsAlgebraicExtension(Rationals);
    false

16.3 RootOf

RootOf( pol )

returns a root of the irreducible polynomial pol as element of the corresponding extension field AlgebraicExtension(pol). This root is called the primitive element of this extension.

    gap> r:=RootOf(p);
    RootOf(x^4 + 3*x^2 + 1)
    gap> r.name:="alpha";;

16.4 Algebraic Extension Elements

According to Kronecker's construction, the elements of an algebraic extension are considered to be polynomials in the primitive element. Unless they are already in the defining field (in which case they are represented as elements of this field), they are represented by records in GAP3 (see Extension Element Records). These records contain a representation a polynomial in the primitive element. The extension corresponding to this primitive element is the default field for the algebraic element.

The usual field operations are applicable to algebraic elements.

    gap> r^3/(r^2+1);
    -1*alpha^3-1*alpha
    gap> DefaultField(r^2);
    e

16.5 Set functions for Algebraic Extensions

As algebraic extensions are fields, all set theoretic functions are applicable to algebraic elements. The following two routines are treated specially:

in

tests, whether a given object is contained in an algebraic extension. The base field is embedded in the natural way into the extension. Two extensions are considered to be distinct, even if the minimal polynomial of one has a root in the other one.

    gap> r in e;5 in e;
    true
    true
    gap> p1:=Polynomial(Rationals,MinPol(r^2));
    x^2 + 3*x + 1
    gap> r2:=RootOf(p1);
    RootOf(x^2 + 3*x + 1)
    gap> r2 in e;
    false

Random

A random algebraic element is computed by taking a linear combination of the powers of the primitive element with random coefficients from the ground field.

    gap> ran:=Random(e);
    -1*alpha^3-4*alpha^2

16.6 IsNormalExtension

IsNormalExtension(L)

An algebraic extension field is called a normal extension, if it is a splitting field of the defining polynomial. The second version returns whether L is a normal extension of K. The first version returns whether L is a normal extension of its definition field.

    gap> IsNormalExtension(e);
    true
    gap> p2:=x^4+x+1;;
    gap> e2:=AlgebraicExtension(p2);
    AlgebraicExtension(Rationals,x^4 + x + 1)
    gap> IsNormalExtension(e2);
    false

16.7 MinpolFactors

MinpolFactors( L )

returns the factorization of the defining polynomial of L over L.

    gap> X(e).name:="X";;
    gap> MinpolFactors(e);
    [ X + (-1*alpha), X + (-1*alpha^3-3*alpha), X + (alpha), 
      X + (alpha^3+3*alpha) ]

16.8 GaloisGroup for Extension Fields

GaloisGroup( L )

returns the Galois group of the field L if L is a normal extension and issues an error if not. The Galois group is a group of extension automorphisms (see ExtensionAutomorphism).

The computation of a Galois group is computationally relatively hard, and can take significant time.

    gap> g:=GaloisGroup(f);
    Group( ExtensionAutomorphism(AlgebraicExtension(GF(2),Z(2)^0*(y^
    2 + y + 1)),RootOf(Z(2)^0*(y^2 + y + 1))+Z(2)^0) )
    gap> h:=GaloisGroup(e);
    Group( ExtensionAutomorphism(e,alpha^3+
    3*alpha), ExtensionAutomorphism(e,-1*alpha), ExtensionAutomorphism(e,
    -1*alpha^3-3*alpha) )
    gap> Size(h);
    4
    gap> AbelianInvariants(h);
    [ 2, 2 ]

16.9 ExtensionAutomorphism

ExtensionAutomorphism( L, img )

is the automorphism of the extension L, that maps the primitive root of L to img. As it is a field automorphism, section Field Homomorphisms applies.

16.10 Field functions for Algebraic Extensions

As already mentioned, algebraic extensions are fields. Thus all field functions like Norm and Trace are applicable.

    gap> Trace(r^4+2*r);
    14
    gap> Norm(ran);
    305

DefaultField always returns the algebraic extension, which contains the primitive element by which the number is represented, see Algebraic Extension Elements.

    gap> DefaultField(r^2);
    e

As subfields are not yet supported, Field will issue an error, if several elements are given, or if the element is not a primitive element for its default field.

You can create a polynomial ring over an algebraic extension to which all functions described in Ring Functions for Polynomial Rings can be applied, for example you can factor polynomials. Factorization is done --- depending on the polynomial --- by factoring the squarefree norem or using a hensel lift (with possibly added lattice reduction) as described in Abb89, using bounds from BTW93.

    gap> X(e).name:="X";;
    gap> p1:=EmbeddedPolynomial(PolynomialRing(e),p1);
    X^2 + 3*X + 1
    gap> Factors(p1);
    [ X + (-1*alpha^2), X + (alpha^2+3) ]

16.11 Algebraic Extension Records

Since every algebraic extension is a field, it is represented as a record. This record contains all components, a field record will contain (see Field Records). Additionally, it contains the components isAlgebraicExtension, minpol, primitiveElm and may contain the components isNormalExtension, minpolFactors and galoisType.

isAlgebraicExtension:

is always true. This indicates that F is an algebraic extension.

minpol:

is the defining polynomial of F.

primitiveElm:

contains RootOf(F.minpol).

isNormalExtension:

indicates, whether F is a normal extension field.

minpolFactors:

contains a factorization of F.minpol over F.

galoisType:

contains the Galois type of the normal closure of F. See section GaloisType.

16.12 Extension Element Records

Elements of an algebraic extension are represented by a record. The record for the element e of L contains the components isAlgebraicElement, domain and coefficients:

isAlgebraicElement:

is always true, and indicates, that e is an algebraic element.

domain:

contains L.

coefficients:

contains the coefficients of e as a polynomial in the primitive root of L.

16.13 IsAlgebraicElement

IsAlgebraicElement( obj )

returns true if obj is an algebraic element, i.e., an element of an algebraic extension, that is not in the defining field, and false otherwise.

    gap> IsAlgebraicElement(r);
    true
    gap> IsAlgebraicElement(3);
    false

16.14 Algebraic extensions of the Rationals

The following sections describe functions that are specific to algebraic extensions of Q\mskip-11mu′.

16.15 DefectApproximation

DefectApproximation( L )

computes a multiple of the defect of the basis of L, given by the powers of the primitive element. The defect indicates, which denominator is necessary in the coefficients, to express algebraic integers in L as a linear combination of the base of L. DefectApproximation takes the maximal square in the discriminant as a first approximation, and then uses Berwicks and Hesses method (see Bra89) to improve this approximation. The number returned is not neccessarily the defect, but may be a proper multiple of it.

    gap> DefectApproximation(e);
    1

16.16 GaloisType

GaloisType( L )
Galois( f )

The first version returns the number of the permutation isomorphism type of the Galois group of the normal closure of L, considered as a transitive permutation group of the roots of the defining polynomial (see The Transitive Groups Library). The second version returns the Galois type of the splitting field of f. Identification is done by factoring appropriate Galois resolvents as proposed in MS85. This function is provided for rational polynomials of degree up to 15. However, it may be not feasible to call this function for polynomials of degree 14 or 15, as the involved computations may be enormous. For some polynomials of degree 14, a complete discrimination is not yet possible, as it would require computations, that are not feasible with current factoring methods.

    gap> GaloisType(e);
    2
    gap> TransitiveGroup(e.degree,2);
    E(4) = 2[x]2

16.17 ProbabilityShapes

ProbabilityShapes( pol )

returns a list of numbers, which contains most likely the isomorphism type of the galois group of pol (see GaloisType). This routine only applies the cycle structure test according to Tschebotareff's theorem. Accordingly, it is very fast, but the result is not guaranteed to be correct.

    gap> ProbabilityShapes(e.minpol);
    [ 2 ]

16.18 DecomPoly

DecomPoly( pol )
DecomPoly( pol, "all" )

returns an ideal decomposition of the polynomial pol. An ideal decomposition is given by two polynomials g and h, such that pol divides (go h). By the Galois correspondence any ideal decomposition corresponds to a block system of the Galois group. The polynomial g defines a subfield K(β) of K(α) with h(α)=β. The first form finds one ideal decomposition, while the second form finds all possible different ideal decompositions (i.e. all subfields).

    gap> d:=DecomPoly(e.minpol);
    [ x^2 + 5, x^3 + 4*x ]
    gap> p:=x^6+108;;
    gap> d:=DecomPoly(p,"all");
    [ [ x^2 + 108, x^3 ], [ x^3 + 108, x^2 ], 
      [ x^3 - 186624, x^5 + 6*x^2 ], [ x^3 + 186624, x^5 - 6*x^2 ] ]
    gap> Value(d[1][1],d[1][2]);
    x^6 + 108

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gap3-jm
27 Nov 2023