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In mathematics, a 'Galois group' is a group associated with a certain type of field extension. The study of field extensions (and polynomials which give rise to them) via Galois groups is called Galois theory.
For a more elementary discussion of Galois groups in terms of permutation groups, see the article on Galois theory.

Contents

Definition

Examples

Facts

Definition

Suppose that ''E'' is an extension of the field ''F''. Consider the set of all automorphisms of ''E''/''F'' (that is, isomorphisms α from ''E'' to itself such that α(''x'') = ''x'' for every ''x'' in ''F''). This set of automorphisms with the operation of function composition forms a group, sometimes denoted by Aut(''E''/''F'').
If ''E''/''F'' is a Galois extension, then Aut(''E''/''F'') is called the 'Galois group' of the extension, and is usually denoted by Gal(''E''/''F'').

Examples

In the following examples ''F'' is a field, and 'C', 'R', 'Q' are the fields of complex, real, and rational numbers, respectively. The notation ''F''(''a'') indicates the field extension obtained by adjoining an element ''a'' to the field ''F''.

★ Gal(''F''/''F'') is the trivial group that has a single element, namely the identity automorphism.

★ Gal('C'/'R') has two elements, the identity automorphism and the complex conjugation automorphism.

★ Aut('R'/'Q') is trivial. Indeed it can be shown that any 'Q'-automorphism must preserve the ordering of the real numbers and hence must be the identity.

★ Gal('C'/'Q') is an infinite group.

★ Gal('Q'(√2)/'Q') has two elements, the identity automorphism and the automorphism which exchanges √2 and −√2.

★ Consider the field ''K'' = 'Q'(³√2). The group Aut(K/'Q') contains only the identity automorphism. This is because ''K'' is not a normal extension, since the other two cube roots of 2 (both complex) are missing from the extension — in other words ''K'' is not a splitting field.

★ Consider now ''L'' = 'Q'(³√2, ω), where ω is a primitive third root of unity. The group Gal(L/'Q') is isomorphic to ''S''₃, the dihedral group of order 6, and ''L'' is in fact the splitting field of ''x''³ − 2 over 'Q'.

Facts

The significance of an extension being Galois is that it obeys the fundamental theorem of Galois theory: the subgroups of the Galois group correspond to the intermediate fields of the field extension.
It can be shown that ''E'' is algebraic over ''F'' if and only if the Galois group is pro-finite.