Calculate fractions in the field $\mathbb Q(\sqrt 2,\sqrt 3)$

abstract-algebralinear algebra

I would like to know how to calculate fractions in the field $\mathbb Q(\sqrt 2,\sqrt 3)$, for example:

$$\frac{A+B \sqrt 2+C \sqrt 3 + D \sqrt 6}{E+F \sqrt2+G \sqrt3 + H \sqrt6}$$

Couldn't this be done with techniques from linear algebra?

Clearly this can be done with the help of an algebra package like Mathematica, but I would like to get an idea how it is done "manually"? And on which theories it is based.

Best Answer

In general if you extend field $F$ as $F[\sqrt p]$, then you can construct inverse by doing the following: $$ \frac1{a+b\sqrt p} = \frac{a-b\sqrt{p}}{a^2-b^2p} = (a^2-b^2p)^{-1}(a-b\sqrt p). $$

You can consider $Q[\sqrt 2, \sqrt 3]=Q[\sqrt 2][\sqrt 3]$: $$ \frac1{E+F \sqrt2+G \sqrt3 + H \sqrt6} = \frac1{(E+F\sqrt2)+(G+H\sqrt2)\sqrt3} = \frac{(E+F\sqrt2)-(G+H\sqrt2)\sqrt3}{(E+F\sqrt2)^2-3(G+H\sqrt2)^2} $$

Now you have to invert the denominator from only $Q[\sqrt 2]$.

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