Chapter 12: Problem 1
In Exercises 1 through 8 express the splitting field of the indicated polynomial \(f(x) \in \mathbb{Q}[x]\) as a radical extension of \(\mathrm{Q}\). $$ x^{2}+2 x+2 $$
Short Answer
Expert verified
The splitting field is \(\mathbb{Q}(i)\).
Step by step solution
01
Determine the Roots
The polynomial is \( x^2 + 2x + 2 \). To find the roots, use the quadratic formula: \( x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a} \), where \( a = 1 \), \( b = 2 \), and \( c = 2 \). Calculate the discriminant: \( b^2 - 4ac = 4 - 8 = -4 \).
02
Simplify the Roots
Because the discriminant is \(-4\), the expression under the square root is negative, indicating complex roots. Compute: \[ x = \frac{-2 \pm \sqrt{-4}}{2} = \frac{-2 \pm 2i}{2} = -1 \pm i \].
03
Express the Splitting Field
The roots are \(-1 + i\) and \(-1 - i\), both of which require \(i\), the imaginary unit. The minimal field extension needed to express the roots is \(\mathbb{Q}(i)\), because \(i\) cannot be represented with just rational numbers.
04
Verify the Splitting Field
Check that \(\mathbb{Q}(i)\) is indeed a splitting field. The polynomial completely factors over \(\mathbb{Q}(i)\) as \((x - (-1 + i))(x - (-1 - i)) = 0\). Therefore, \(\mathbb{Q}(i)\) is a splitting field over \(\mathbb{Q}\).
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Polynomial Roots
At the heart of many algebraic problems lies finding the roots of a polynomial. A polynomial root is a solution to the equation formed by setting the polynomial to zero. For a simple quadratic polynomial like \(x^2 + 2x + 2\), finding the roots involves finding those values of \(x\) for which the equation equals zero.
- Roots can be real or complex, depending on the discriminant (\(b^2 - 4ac\)). A positive discriminant indicates real roots, zero indicates a repeated root, and negative indicates complex roots.
- In this context, the polynomial has complex roots due to a negative discriminant.
- These roots often reveal fundamental properties of the polynomial and the fields from which it originates.
Quadratic Formula
The quadratic formula is a handy tool for solving quadratic equations of the form \(ax^2 + bx + c = 0\). By using it, we can find the precise roots of any quadratic polynomial.
- Formula: \(x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a}\)
- This formula requires calculating the discriminant \(b^2 - 4ac\), which informs us whether the roots are real or complex.
- In our case, with \(a = 1\), \(b = 2\), and \(c = 2\), we found the discriminant to be negative, resulting in complex roots.
Complex Numbers
When dealing with negative discriminants in quadratic equations, we encounter complex numbers.
- Complex numbers extend the idea of "number" to include all sums of real numbers and imaginary numbers (i.e., numbers formed with the unit \(i\) such that \(i^2 = -1\)).
- The roots found in this problem, \(-1 \pm i\), are examples of complex numbers. Here, \(-1\) is the real part, and \(\pm i\) is the imaginary part.
- Complex numbers are arranged on a two-dimensional plane called the complex plane, where real numbers map onto the x-axis and imaginary numbers onto the y-axis.
Field Extension
In order to express the roots of polynomials fully, especially when they are not real, we utilize field extensions.
- A field extension expands a base field to include additional elements necessary to express roots or other mathematical expressions. In this problem, the base field is \(\mathbb{Q}\), the field of rational numbers.
- To accommodate the complex roots \(-1 \pm i\), we extend \(\mathbb{Q}\) to \(\mathbb{Q}(i)\), a field containing all numbers of the form \(a + bi\) where \(a, b\) are rational numbers.
- This minimal extension necessary to express the polynomial's roots completely is called the splitting field.