Constructible Numbers and Galois Theory Zainab Ahmed

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Constructible Numbers and Galois Theory Zainab Ahmed Constructible Numbers and Galois Theory Zainab Ahmed Important Definitions Algebraic Numbers All rational numbers are constructible numbers, which are all algebraic numbers. Algebraic numbers can be complex orp real. A complex algebraic number, for example, can be i. An example of a real algebraic number is 2. The root of this polynomial equation is algebraic: n n bnx + bn − 1x − 1 + ::: + b1x + b0 = 0 where bi are algebraic numbers. Constructible Numbers A constructible number is a number represented by finite additions, subtractions, multiplications, divisions, and square roots of integers. These numbers make up line segments that can only be formed with a straightedge or compass. p An example of a constructible number is 2. First off, groups, rings, and fields need to be defined. They can be revealed through Galois' Associative and Commutative Property Theorem. Groups A group is a finite set G equipped to a; bG the product a × b and satisfies i/ (a × b) × c = a × (b × c) for any a; b; c G ii/ There exists e in G such that a × e = e × a = a 8aG (one shows that e is unique) iii/ For any a in G, there exists a0 G : a × a0 − a0 × a = e, where a0 is a's reciprocal. Examples: (R; +); (R∗; x); (C; +); (C∗; x); (Z; +); (Q; +); (Q∗; x) where R are rational numbers, C are complex numbers, Z are integer numbers, and Q are rational numbers. the ∗ symbol indicates that the group are of nonzero numbers. Also if the following additional property holds: iv/ a × b = b × a 8a; bG then the group is called abelian or commutative. Rings A ring is a set R with two operations: +, x such : i/ (R; +) is an abelian group ii/ (ab)c = a(bc) 8a.b.cR iii/ a(b + c) = ab + ac 8a.b.cR If we also require that: iv/ 91R : a × 1 = 1 × a = a 8aR v/ ab = ba8a; bR then we have a commutative ring with identity. QED Fields Finally if 8aR9a0 : aa0 = 1 then R is called a field. A field can contain rational, complex, real, and algebraic numbers. Within a field, zero does not have a reciprocal. A field is a division ring with commutative multiplication. Examples: Q; R; Zp, where p is always prime. Extension Fields An extension field are when a field F is a subfield of K which is denoted as K=F . For example, complex numbers is an extension field of real numbers which is an extension field of rational numbers. An extension field degree is something that indicates the measure of the size of a filed extension. If K=F is the extension field, then K is considered as a vector space, or the product or sum of scalar vectors, over F, the field of scalars. An extension field degree is noted as: [K : F ] = dimF K A simple extension is when only one new element from the yield of the rationals of a complex number is added. To sum up the essence of a simple extension, it is written in the following way: f(a) F (a) = g(a) where a is an element within the larger filed F , f; g are polynomials within the field F , and where g(a) 6= 0 2 F 0 The following formula shows that for some power of n, the nth power of an can be written as a linear combination. The powers of a is always less than n. a is considered to be an algebraic number within F and F (a) is the algebraic extension. The smallest integer n that satisfies the summation above is the extension field degree. The summation 2 of p(x) = xn is called an extension field minimal polynomial. An extension field minimal polynomial is where p(a) = 0. Extensions can then turn into transcendental extensions when there is no such integer of n where p(x) = xn. Background Information and History The Galois theory is named after Evariste Galois. He lived from October 25, 1811 to May 31, 1832. His father was a small town mayor. His mother was a lady who taught Galois politics and how to be a noble. Even though he was interested in politics, he went to school to study mathematics. Being rejected form Ecole Polytechnique, the most prestigious institution for mathematics in France at the time, he went to Ecole Normale, a poor university for mathematics at the time. He was a French mathematician who was able to understand how to compute a polynomial with radicals in his teens. He is known for his works on the theory of equations and Abelian integrals. His work led up to the two major branches of abstract algebra, Galois theory and group theory. He also introduced a infinite field, also known as Galois field. This field is usually shown as fields containing integers modp where p must always be a prime number. Galois Theory, the most notable of mathematics founded by Evariste Galois, shows the algebraic solutions to to a polynomial equation. Galois found that the solutions to polynomial equations are associated with the permutations, or the sequence or order of the set, of the roots of the polynomial equations. This discovery a started with the question of finding the formula for the roots of a fifth or higher degree polynomial equation with only the use of algebraic computations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) and radicals. It also answers why there is a need to define a constructible number, as not everything is geometrically constructible. To go about solving the polynomial equations, Evariste Galois originally applies the theory of equations, which is the analysis of the algebraic solutions to polynomial equations. He found that radicals can represent the solutions to a polynomial equation if the series of commutative subgroups of a Galois group, or the permutations, is found. Involving Galois' last days and death, a myth states that at one dinner, Galois disrespected the king and was sentenced to prison. In prison, he constructed a proof for the solutions of the roots of the fifth degree polynomial. When he was released from prison, Galois was expelled from Ecole Normale. Evariste Galois first submitting his memoir on the theory to the Paris Academy of Sciences in 1830 at the age of 18. However, due to his lack in written explanation of all details of the theory, his memoir was thought to be too sketchy and unrealistic at the time. Therefore, this memoir was not published. He then romanced a woman, but was then challenged to a duel over her hand. The night before the duel, he wrote down all of his mathematical thoughts to be passed on and sent them to his friend, as though he knew that he would die in the upcoming duel. However, after Galois died, the paper from the night before his duel was lost. Later the document was found; yet, he is not credited to be the first one who found the proof for the solutions of the roots of the fifth degree polynomial. 3 Evariste Galois's memoir of the theory of solvability by radicals was not published until 1846 by Joseph Liouville, a prestigious mathematician at the time. Joseph added onto Galois' theory and clarified his work before publications of the work documents. Yet, many mathematicians had trouble understanding Evariste Galois' work. Application of Constructible Numbers Splitting fields and Multiple Roots Galois Theory Galois Theory simply states: If there exists a one-to-one correspondence between two subgroups and subfields such that G(E(G0)) = G0 where G0 is a larger field than G E(G(E0)) = E0 where E0 is a larger field than E then E is said to have a Galois theory. Galois Theory can be done though permutations on quadratic equations only where the coefficients are rational numbers. The Galois group of quadratic equations have two kinds of permutations: the identity permutation and the transposition permutation. The identity permutation does not effect the coefficients of the equation at hand because it notes every element of the set itself. The transposition permutation is where two elements within the set are switched, changing the coefficients and essentially the solutions to the quadratic equations. 4.
Recommended publications
  • Field Theory Pete L. Clark
    Field Theory Pete L. Clark Thanks to Asvin Gothandaraman and David Krumm for pointing out errors in these notes. Contents About These Notes 7 Some Conventions 9 Chapter 1. Introduction to Fields 11 Chapter 2. Some Examples of Fields 13 1. Examples From Undergraduate Mathematics 13 2. Fields of Fractions 14 3. Fields of Functions 17 4. Completion 18 Chapter 3. Field Extensions 23 1. Introduction 23 2. Some Impossible Constructions 26 3. Subfields of Algebraic Numbers 27 4. Distinguished Classes 29 Chapter 4. Normal Extensions 31 1. Algebraically closed fields 31 2. Existence of algebraic closures 32 3. The Magic Mapping Theorem 35 4. Conjugates 36 5. Splitting Fields 37 6. Normal Extensions 37 7. The Extension Theorem 40 8. Isaacs' Theorem 40 Chapter 5. Separable Algebraic Extensions 41 1. Separable Polynomials 41 2. Separable Algebraic Field Extensions 44 3. Purely Inseparable Extensions 46 4. Structural Results on Algebraic Extensions 47 Chapter 6. Norms, Traces and Discriminants 51 1. Dedekind's Lemma on Linear Independence of Characters 51 2. The Characteristic Polynomial, the Trace and the Norm 51 3. The Trace Form and the Discriminant 54 Chapter 7. The Primitive Element Theorem 57 1. The Alon-Tarsi Lemma 57 2. The Primitive Element Theorem and its Corollary 57 3 4 CONTENTS Chapter 8. Galois Extensions 61 1. Introduction 61 2. Finite Galois Extensions 63 3. An Abstract Galois Correspondence 65 4. The Finite Galois Correspondence 68 5. The Normal Basis Theorem 70 6. Hilbert's Theorem 90 72 7. Infinite Algebraic Galois Theory 74 8. A Characterization of Normal Extensions 75 Chapter 9.
    [Show full text]
  • Integers, Rational Numbers, and Algebraic Numbers
    LECTURE 9 Integers, Rational Numbers, and Algebraic Numbers In the set N of natural numbers only the operations of addition and multiplication can be defined. For allowing the operations of subtraction and division quickly take us out of the set N; 2 ∈ N and3 ∈ N but2 − 3=−1 ∈/ N 1 1 ∈ N and2 ∈ N but1 ÷ 2= = N 2 The set Z of integers is formed by expanding N to obtain a set that is closed under subtraction as well as addition. Z = {0, −1, +1, −2, +2, −3, +3,...} . The new set Z is not closed under division, however. One therefore expands Z to include fractions as well and arrives at the number field Q, the rational numbers. More formally, the set Q of rational numbers is the set of all ratios of integers: p Q = | p, q ∈ Z ,q=0 q The rational numbers appear to be a very satisfactory algebraic system until one begins to tries to solve equations like x2 =2 . It turns out that there is no rational number that satisfies this equation. To see this, suppose there exists integers p, q such that p 2 2= . q p We can without loss of generality assume that p and q have no common divisors (i.e., that the fraction q is reduced as far as possible). We have 2q2 = p2 so p2 is even. Hence p is even. Therefore, p is of the form p =2k for some k ∈ Z.Butthen 2q2 =4k2 or q2 =2k2 so q is even, so p and q have a common divisor - a contradiction since p and q are can be assumed to be relatively prime.
    [Show full text]
  • Växjö University
    School of Mathematics and System Engineering Reports from MSI - Rapporter från MSI Växjö University Geometrical Constructions Tanveer Sabir Aamir Muneer June MSI Report 09021 2009 Växjö University ISSN 1650-2647 SE-351 95 VÄXJÖ ISRN VXU/MSI/MA/E/--09021/--SE Tanveer Sabir Aamir Muneer Trisecting the Angle, Doubling the Cube, Squaring the Circle and Construction of n-gons Master thesis Mathematics 2009 Växjö University Abstract In this thesis, we are dealing with following four problems (i) Trisecting the angle; (ii) Doubling the cube; (iii) Squaring the circle; (iv) Construction of all regular polygons; With the help of field extensions, a part of the theory of abstract algebra, these problems seems to be impossible by using unmarked ruler and compass. First two problems, trisecting the angle and doubling the cube are solved by using marked ruler and compass, because when we use marked ruler more points are possible to con- struct and with the help of these points more figures are possible to construct. The problems, squaring the circle and Construction of all regular polygons are still im- possible to solve. iii Key-words: iv Acknowledgments We are obliged to our supervisor Per-Anders Svensson for accepting and giving us chance to do our thesis under his kind supervision. We are also thankful to our Programme Man- ager Marcus Nilsson for his work that set up a road map for us. We wish to thank Astrid Hilbert for being in Växjö and teaching us, She is really a cool, calm and knowledgeable, as an educator should. We also want to thank of our head of department and teachers who time to time supported in different subjects.
    [Show full text]
  • Algebraic Number Theory
    Algebraic Number Theory William B. Hart Warwick Mathematics Institute Abstract. We give a short introduction to algebraic number theory. Algebraic number theory is the study of extension fields Q(α1; α2; : : : ; αn) of the rational numbers, known as algebraic number fields (sometimes number fields for short), in which each of the adjoined complex numbers αi is algebraic, i.e. the root of a polynomial with rational coefficients. Throughout this set of notes we use the notation Z[α1; α2; : : : ; αn] to denote the ring generated by the values αi. It is the smallest ring containing the integers Z and each of the αi. It can be described as the ring of all polynomial expressions in the αi with integer coefficients, i.e. the ring of all expressions built up from elements of Z and the complex numbers αi by finitely many applications of the arithmetic operations of addition and multiplication. The notation Q(α1; α2; : : : ; αn) denotes the field of all quotients of elements of Z[α1; α2; : : : ; αn] with nonzero denominator, i.e. the field of rational functions in the αi, with rational coefficients. It is the smallest field containing the rational numbers Q and all of the αi. It can be thought of as the field of all expressions built up from elements of Z and the numbers αi by finitely many applications of the arithmetic operations of addition, multiplication and division (excepting of course, divide by zero). 1 Algebraic numbers and integers A number α 2 C is called algebraic if it is the root of a monic polynomial n n−1 n−2 f(x) = x + an−1x + an−2x + ::: + a1x + a0 = 0 with rational coefficients ai.
    [Show full text]
  • The Art of the Intelligible
    JOHN L. BELL Department of Philosophy, University of Western Ontario THE ART OF THE INTELLIGIBLE An Elementary Survey of Mathematics in its Conceptual Development To my dear wife Mimi The purpose of geometry is to draw us away from the sensible and the perishable to the intelligible and eternal. Plutarch TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD page xi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS xiii CHAPTER 1 NUMERALS AND NOTATION 1 CHAPTER 2 THE MATHEMATICS OF ANCIENT GREECE 9 CHAPTER 3 THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NUMBER CONCEPT 28 THE THEORY OF NUMBERS Perfect Numbers. Prime Numbers. Sums of Powers. Fermat’s Last Theorem. The Number π . WHAT ARE NUMBERS? CHAPTER 4 THE EVOLUTION OF ALGEBRA, I 53 Greek Algebra Chinese Algebra Hindu Algebra Arabic Algebra Algebra in Europe The Solution of the General Equation of Degrees 3 and 4 The Algebraic Insolubility of the General Equation of Degree Greater than 4 Early Abstract Algebra 70 CHAPTER 5 THE EVOLUTION OF ALGEBRA, II 72 Hamilton and Quaternions. Grassmann’s “Calculus of Extension”. Finite Dimensional Linear Algebras. Matrices. Lie Algebras. CHAPTER 6 THE EVOLUTION OF ALGEBRA, III 89 Algebraic Numbers and Ideals. ABSTRACT ALGEBRA Groups. Rings and Fields. Ordered Sets. Lattices and Boolean Algebras. Category Theory. CHAPTER 7 THE DEVELOPMENT OF GEOMETRY, I 111 COORDINATE/ALGEBRAIC/ANALYTIC GEOMETRY Algebraic Curves. Cubic Curves. Geometric Construction Problems. Higher Dimensional Spaces. NONEUCLIDEAN GEOMETRY CHAPTER 8 THE DEVELOPMENT OF GEOMETRY, II 129 PROJECTIVE GEOMETRY DIFFERENTIAL GEOMETRY The Theory of Surfaces. Riemann’s Conception of Geometry. TOPOLOGY Combinatorial Topology. Point-set topology. CHAPTER 9 THE CALCULUS AND MATHEMATICAL ANALYSIS 151 THE ORIGINS AND BASIC NOTIONS OF THE CALCULUS MATHEMATICAL ANALYSIS Infinite Series.
    [Show full text]
  • Many More Names of (7, 3, 1)
    VOL. 88, NO. 2, APRIL 2015 103 Many More Names of (7, 3, 1) EZRA BROWN Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA 24061-0123 [email protected] Combinatorial designs are collections of subsets of a finite set that satisfy specified conditions, usually involving regularity or symmetry. As the scope of the 984-page Handbook of Combinatorial Designs [7] suggests, this field of study is vast and far reaching. Here is a picture of the very first design to appear in “Opening the Door,” the first of the Handbook’s 109 chapters: Figure 1 The design that opens the door This design, which we call the (7, 3, 1) design, makes appearances in many areas of mathematics. It seems to turn up again and again in unexpected places. An earlier paper in this MAGAZINE [4] described (7, 3, 1)’s appearance in a number of different areas, including finite projective planes, as the Fano plane (FIGURE 1); graph theory, as the Heawood graph and the doubly regular round-robin tournament of order 7; topology, as an arrangement of six mutually adjacent hexagons on the torus; (−1, 1) matrices, as a skew-Hadamard matrix of order 8; and algebraic number theory, as the splitting field of the polynomial (x 2 − 2)(x 2 − 3)(x 2 − 5). In this paper, we show how (7, 3, 1) makes appearances in three areas, namely (1) Hamming’s error-correcting codes, (2) Singer designs and difference sets based on n-dimensional finite projective geometries, and (3) normed algebras. We begin with an overview of block designs, including two descriptions of (7, 3, 1).
    [Show full text]
  • Advanced Mathematics for Secondary Teachers: a Capstone Experience
    Advanced Mathematics for Secondary Teachers: A Capstone Experience Curtis Bennett David Meel c 2000 January 3, 2001 2 Contents 1 Introduction 5 1.1 A Description of the Course . 5 1.2 What is Mathematics? . 6 1.3 Background . 9 1.3.1 GCDs and the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic . 10 1.3.2 Abstract Algebra and polynomials . 11 1.4 Problems . 14 2 Rational and Irrational Numbers 15 2.1 Decimal Representations . 18 2.2 Irrationality Proofs . 23 2.3 Irrationality of e and π ...................... 26 2.4 Problems . 30 3 Constructible Numbers 35 3.1 The Number Line . 37 3.2 Construction of Products and Sums . 39 3.3 Number Fields and Vector Spaces . 44 3.4 Impossibility Theorems . 54 3.5 Regular n-gons . 58 3.6 Problems . 60 4 Solving Equations by Radicals 63 4.1 Solving Simple Cubic Equations . 66 4.2 The General Cubic Equation . 72 4.3 The Complex Plane . 74 4.4 Algebraic Numbers . 78 4.5 Transcendental Numbers . 80 3 4 CONTENTS 5 Dedekind Cuts 87 5.1 Axioms for the Real Numbers . 87 5.2 Dedekind Cuts . 91 6 Classical Numbers 105 6.1 The Logarithmic Function . 105 7 Cardinality Questions 109 8 Finite Difference Methods 111 Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 A Description of the Course This course is intended as a capstone experience for mathematics students planning on becoming high school teachers. This is not to say that this is a course in material from the high school curriculum. Nor is this a course on how to teach topics from the high school curriculum.
    [Show full text]
  • FROM GEOMETRY to NUMBER the Arithmetic Field Implicit in Geometry
    FROM GEOMETRY TO NUMBER The Arithmetic Field implicit in Geometry Johan Alm Contents Preface v Chapter 1. Kinds of Number in Early Geometry 1 1. Pythagorean natural philosophy 1 2. Plato and Euclid 4 Chapter 2. Fields and Geometric Construction 7 1. Line segment arithmetic 7 2. The Hilbert field 12 3. The constructible field 13 4. The real field 15 Chapter 3. The main theorems 17 1. The Cartesian space over a field 17 2. Faithful models 17 3. Three theorems 18 4. Proof of the first theorem 19 5. Proof of the second theorem 22 6. Proof of the third theorem 26 7. The main theorem 26 Chapter 4. Some applications 29 1. Duplicating the cube 29 2. Trisecting the angle 32 3. Squaring the circle 33 Appendix A. Hilbert’s axioms 35 Appendix B. Axioms and properties of groups and fields 39 Appendix C. Field extensions 41 Appendix. Bibliography 43 iii Preface This is a short monograph on geometry, written by the author as a supplement to David C. Kay’s ”College Geometry” while taking a course based on that book. The presentation in this monograph is very indebted to Robin Hartshorne’s book ”Geometry: Euclid and Beyond.” To be more precise we might say this is a text on classical, synthetic, or ax- iomatic geometry, but we consider this the heart of geometry and prefer to refer to the subject simply as ”geometry.” Most texts on geometry focus on the parallel axiom. Little fuzz is made about the other axioms, and one easily gets the idea that they serve only to provide a sensible foundation.
    [Show full text]
  • Algebraic Number Theory Summary of Notes
    Algebraic Number Theory summary of notes Robin Chapman 3 May 2000, revised 28 March 2004, corrected 4 January 2005 This is a summary of the 1999–2000 course on algebraic number the- ory. Proofs will generally be sketched rather than presented in detail. Also, examples will be very thin on the ground. I first learnt algebraic number theory from Stewart and Tall’s textbook Algebraic Number Theory (Chapman & Hall, 1979) (latest edition retitled Algebraic Number Theory and Fermat’s Last Theorem (A. K. Peters, 2002)) and these notes owe much to this book. I am indebted to Artur Costa Steiner for pointing out an error in an earlier version. 1 Algebraic numbers and integers We say that α ∈ C is an algebraic number if f(α) = 0 for some monic polynomial f ∈ Q[X]. We say that β ∈ C is an algebraic integer if g(α) = 0 for some monic polynomial g ∈ Z[X]. We let A and B denote the sets of algebraic numbers and algebraic integers respectively. Clearly B ⊆ A, Z ⊆ B and Q ⊆ A. Lemma 1.1 Let α ∈ A. Then there is β ∈ B and a nonzero m ∈ Z with α = β/m. Proof There is a monic polynomial f ∈ Q[X] with f(α) = 0. Let m be the product of the denominators of the coefficients of f. Then g = mf ∈ Z[X]. Pn j Write g = j=0 ajX . Then an = m. Now n n−1 X n−1+j j h(X) = m g(X/m) = m ajX j=0 1 is monic with integer coefficients (the only slightly problematical coefficient n −1 n−1 is that of X which equals m Am = 1).
    [Show full text]
  • Approximation to Real Numbers by Algebraic Numbers of Bounded Degree
    Approximation to real numbers by algebraic numbers of bounded degree (Review of existing results) Vladislav Frank University Bordeaux 1 ALGANT Master program May,2007 Contents 1 Approximation by rational numbers. 2 2 Wirsing conjecture and Wirsing theorem 4 3 Mahler and Koksma functions and original Wirsing idea 6 4 Davenport-Schmidt method for the case d = 2 8 5 Linear forms and the subspace theorem 10 6 Hopeless approach and Schmidt counterexample 12 7 Modern approach to Wirsing conjecture 12 8 Integral approximation 18 9 Extremal numbers due to Damien Roy 22 10 Exactness of Schmidt result 27 1 1 Approximation by rational numbers. It seems, that the problem of approximation of given number by numbers of given class was firstly stated by Dirichlet. So, we may call his theorem as ”the beginning of diophantine approximation”. Theorem 1.1. (Dirichlet, 1842) For every irrational number ζ there are in- p finetely many rational numbers q , such that p 1 0 < ζ − < . q q2 Proof. Take a natural number N and consider numbers {qζ} for all q, 1 ≤ q ≤ N. They all are in the interval (0, 1), hence, there are two of them with distance 1 not exceeding q . Denote the corresponding q’s as q1 and q2. So, we know, that 1 there are integers p1, p2 ≤ N such that |(q2ζ − p2) − (q1ζ − p1)| < N . Hence, 1 for q = q2 − q1 and p = p2 − p1 we have |qζ − p| < . Division by q gives N ζ − p < 1 ≤ 1 . So, for every N we have an approximation with precision q qN q2 1 1 qN < N .
    [Show full text]
  • Ruler and Compass Constructions and Abstract Algebra
    Ruler and Compass Constructions and Abstract Algebra Introduction Around 300 BC, Euclid wrote a series of 13 books on geometry and number theory. These books are collectively called the Elements and are some of the most famous books ever written about any subject. In the Elements, Euclid described several “ruler and compass” constructions. By ruler, we mean a straightedge with no marks at all (so it does not look like the rulers with centimeters or inches that you get at the store). The ruler allows you to draw the (unique) line between two (distinct) given points. The compass allows you to draw a circle with a given point as its center and with radius equal to the distance between two given points. But there are three famous constructions that the Greeks could not perform using ruler and compass: • Doubling the cube: constructing a cube having twice the volume of a given cube. • Trisecting the angle: constructing an angle 1/3 the measure of a given angle. • Squaring the circle: constructing a square with area equal to that of a given circle. The Greeks were able to construct several regular polygons, but another famous problem was also beyond their reach: • Determine which regular polygons are constructible with ruler and compass. These famous problems were open (unsolved) for 2000 years! Thanks to the modern tools of abstract algebra, we now know the solutions: • It is impossible to double the cube, trisect the angle, or square the circle using only ruler (straightedge) and compass. • We also know precisely which regular polygons can be constructed and which ones cannot.
    [Show full text]
  • Arxiv:1103.4922V1 [Math.NT] 25 Mar 2011 Hoyo Udai Om.Let Forms
    QUATERNION ORDERS AND TERNARY QUADRATIC FORMS STEFAN LEMURELL Introduction The main purpose of this paper is to provide an introduction to the arith- metic theory of quaternion algebras. However, it also contains some new results, most notably in Section 5. We will emphasise on the connection between quaternion algebras and quadratic forms. This connection will pro- vide us with an efficient tool to consider arbitrary orders instead of having to restrict to special classes of them. The existing results are mostly restricted to special classes of orders, most notably to so called Eichler orders. The paper is organised as follows. Some notations and background are provided in Section 1, especially on the theory of quadratic forms. Section 2 contains the basic theory of quaternion algebras. Moreover at the end of that section, we give a quite general solution to the problem of representing a quaternion algebra with given discriminant. Such a general description seems to be lacking in the literature. Section 3 gives the basic definitions concerning orders in quaternion alge- bras. In Section 4, we prove an important correspondence between ternary quadratic forms and quaternion orders. Section 5 deals with orders in quaternion algebras over p-adic fields. The major part is an investigation of the isomorphism classes in the non-dyadic and 2-adic cases. The starting- point is the correspondence with ternary quadratic forms and known classi- fications of such forms. From this, we derive representatives of the isomor- phism classes of quaternion orders. These new results are complements to arXiv:1103.4922v1 [math.NT] 25 Mar 2011 existing more ring-theoretic descriptions of orders.
    [Show full text]