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Irreducible Quartic Polynomials with Factorizations modulo p

2005, The American Mathematical Monthly

AI-generated Abstract

This paper explores the factorization properties of irreducible quartic polynomials over the integers and their reduction modulo primes. It addresses the phenomenon where certain polynomials are irreducible in Z[x] but become reducible modulo primes, particularly focusing on biquadratic polynomials of the form x^4 + r x^2 + s. By providing necessary and sufficient conditions for their reducibility and investigating various examples, the authors aim to present an elementary approach to this topic, aiding instructors in discussing these concepts earlier in the mathematical curriculum.