Number Theory – Irreducibility of Polynomials Over Number Fields

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Recently, a problem in my research has appeared and now I need to construct some algebraic numbers with special properties (related to its degree and some other fields extensions).

Now, in order to help me, I would like to prove the following result:

Proposition. Let $\alpha$ be a real algebraic number and let $n>4$ be a positive integer, then the polynomial $X^n-p$ is irreducible over $K:=\mathbb{Q}(\alpha)$, for all large enough prime number $p$.

I tried to use some splitting fields, discriminantes properties, (un)ramified primes to prove it, but I was not able to do it.

Any suggestion is very welcomed.

Thanks in advance.

Best Answer

Lemma. Let $K$ be any number field, and $p$ a prime unramified in $K$. Then $X^n-p$ is irreducible over $K$.

Proof. It suffices to show that the field $L = K(\sqrt[n\ \ ]{p})$ has degree $n$ over $K$. Let $\mathfrak q \subseteq \mathcal O_L$ be a prime above $p$, and let $\mathfrak p = \mathcal O_K \cap \mathfrak q$ be its image in $\operatorname{Spec} \mathcal O_K$. Since $\mathcal O_L$ contains $\mathbf Z[\sqrt[n\ \ ]{p}]$, we have $e_{\mathfrak q/p} \geq n$. But $K$ is unramified above $p$, so $e_{\mathfrak p/p} = 1$. We conclude that $e_{\mathfrak q/\mathfrak p} = n$, so $[L:K] \geq n$. The reverse inequality is clear. $\square$

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