Fundamental Theorem of Field Theory
(Kronecker’s Theorem, 1887)
Muhammad Izhar
Assistant Professor of Mathematics
Govt. Postgraduate College Mardan
January 10, 2025
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We start with the following definition.
Definition. [Extension Field]
A field E is an extension field of a field F if F ⊂ E and the operations of F are
those of E restricted to F.
Example. R is an extension field of Q. Similarly, C is an extension field of R.
Theorem. If p(x) is an irreducible polynomial in F[x] then there is an extension
field of F in which p(x) has a root.
Proof. Since p(x) is an irreducible polynomial in F[x], therefore the principal
ideal hp(x)i is a maximal ideal in F[x]. Let us denote hp(x)i by I, that is, I :=
hp(x)i. We know that a proper ideal M of a commutative ring R with unity is a
maximal ideal of the ring R if and only if R/M is a field. Hence we conclude that
F[x]/I is a field. Let us denote this field by E := F[x]/I. We want to show that E
is an extension of F. Although at first it seems that it is not!
We claim that F can be identified with a subfield of F[x]/I in a natural way by use
of the map ψ : F → F[x]/I given by
ψ(a) = a + I
for any a ∈ F. We prove that ψ is an injective field homomorphsim.
Let a, b ∈ F then
ψ(a + b) = (a + b) + I
= (a + I) + (b + I)
= ψ(a) + ψ(b)
and
ψ(ab) = (ab) + I
= (a + I)(b + I)
= ψ(a)ψ(b)
which proves that ψ is homomorphsim. Next we prove that this map is one to one.
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Assume
ψ(a) = ψ(b)
a+I = b+I
and this means then a − b ∈ I, so a − b must be a multiple of the polynomial p(x).
That is
a − b = p(x)h(x)
for some polynomial h(x) ∈ F[x] with the degree of p(x) ≥ 1. Now a, b ∈ F
implies that a − b is in F. The equality is true only when h(x) = 0 and so we have
that a − b = 0 or a = b. Hence ψ is an injective field homomorphism. Therefore
we identify F with the subfield F = {a + I|a ∈ F} of E being the image of the
field F under this injective homomorphism ψ. That is F is embedded in E and so
we shall view E := F[x]/I as an extension field of F in this sense. Thus we had
manufactured our desired extension field E of F.
It remains to show that E contains a zero of p(x). Let us set α = x + I ∈ E. If
p(x) = a0 + a1 x + a2 x2 + · · · + an xn
then p(α) = a0 + a1 (x + I) + a2 (x + I)2 + · · · + an (x + I)n in E.
Identifying ai as ai + I in E, we get
p(α) = a0 + a1 (x + I) + a2 (x + I)2 + · · · + an (x + I)n
= (a0 + I) + (a1 + I)(x + I) + (a2 + I)(x2 + I) + · · · + (an + 1)(xn + I)
= (a0 + I) + (a1 x + I) + (a2 x2 + I) + · · · + (an xn + I)
= (a0 + a1 x + a2 x2 + · · · + an xn ) + I
= p(x) + I
= I where I is zero of E
Hence the polynomial p(x) has a zero in the extension field E of F and the theo-
rem is proved.
Algebraic and Transcendental Elements An element of an extension field E of
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a field F is one of two categories.
An element α of an extension field E of a field F is algebraic over F if f (α) = 0
for some nonzero f (x) ∈ F[x]. If α is not algebraic over F, then α is transcenden-
tal over F.
√
Example C is an extension field of Q. Since 2 is a zero of x2 − 2, we see that
√
2 is an algebraic element over Q. Also, i is an algebraic element over Q, being
a zero of x2 + 1.
Example It is well known (but not easy to prove) that the real numbers π and e
are transcendental over Q. Here e is the base for the natural logarithms.
Just as we do not speak simply of an irreducible polynomial, but rather of an
irreducible polynomial over F, similarly we don’t speak simply of an algebraic
element, but rather of an element algebraic over F. The following illustration
shows the reason for this.
Example The real number π is transcendental over Q, however, π is algebraic
over R, for it is a zero of (x − π) ∈ R[x].
p √
Example It is easy to see that the real number 1 + 3 is algebraic over Q. For if
p √ √
α = 1 + 3, then α 2 = 1+ 3 and so (α 2 −1)2 = 3. Therefore α 4 −2α 2 −2 =
0, so α is a zero of x4 − 2x2 − 2 which is in Q[x].
Simple Extension An extension field E of a field F is a simple extension of F if
E = F(α) for some α ∈ E.
Theorem Let E be a simple extension F(α) of a field F, and let α be algebraic
over F. Let the degree of the irreducible polynomial of minimal degree in F[x] be
n ≥ 1. Then every element β of E = F(α) can be uniquely expressed in the form
β = b0 + b1 α + · · · + bn−1 α n−1 ,
where the bi are in F.
Algebraic Extension An extension field E of a field F is an algebraic extension
of F if every element in E is algebraic over F.
√ √
Example. The extension field Q[ 2] = {a + b 2 : a, b ∈ Q} is an algebraic ex-
√
tension of Q since every a + b 2 is algebraic over Q being root of the polynomial
x2 − 2ax + (a2 − 2b2 ) in Q[x].
√
Looking at the extension field Q[ 2, it can be thought of as a vector space
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√
over Q as well. This vector space has basis {1, 2} . Thus we may associate a
terminology of degree of extension to an extension field E of F.
Extension degree If an extension field E of a field F is of finite dimension n as a
vector space over F , then E is a finite extension of degree n over F. We shall let
[E : F] be the degree n of E over F.
√
Example. Q[ 2] is an extension of degree 2 over Q.
To say that a field E is a finite extension of a field F does not mean that E is a
finite field. It just asserts that E is a finite-dimensional vector space over F, that
is, that [E : F] is finite.
Theorem If E is a finite extension field of a field F, and K is a finite extension
field of E, then K is a finite extension of F, and
[K : F] = [K : E][E : F].
Exercise Determine the following.
i. [Q[31/4 ] : Q].
√ √
ii. [Q[ 2, 3 2] : Q].
