Quadratic field: Difference between revisions

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* {{cite book | author=A. Fröhlich | authorlink=Ali Fröhlich | coauthors=M.J. Taylor | title=Algebraic number theory | series=Cambridge studies in advanced mathematics | volume=27 | publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] | year=1991 | isbn=0-521-36664-X | pages=175-193,220-230,306-309 }}
* {{cite book | author=A. Fröhlich | authorlink=Ali Fröhlich | coauthors=M.J. Taylor | title=Algebraic number theory | series=Cambridge studies in advanced mathematics | volume=27 | publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] | year=1991 | isbn=0-521-36664-X | pages=175-193,220-230,306-309 }}
* {{cite book | author=I.N. Stewart | authorlink=Ian Stewart (mathematician) | coauthors=D.O. Tall | title=Algebraic number theory | publisher=Chapman and Hall | year=1979 | isbn=0-412-13840-9 | pages=59-62 }}
* {{cite book | author=I.N. Stewart | authorlink=Ian Stewart (mathematician) | coauthors=D.O. Tall | title=Algebraic number theory | publisher=Chapman and Hall | year=1979 | isbn=0-412-13840-9 | pages=59-62 }}
* {{cite book | author=Pierre Samuel | authorlink=Pierre Samuel | title=Algebraic number theory | publisher=Hermann/Kershaw | year=1972 | pages=34-36 }}
* {{cite book | author=Pierre Samuel | authorlink=Pierre Samuel | title=Algebraic number theory | publisher=Hermann/Kershaw | year=1972 | pages=34-36 }}[[Category:Suggestion Bot Tag]]

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In mathematics, a quadratic field is a field which is an extension of its prime field of degree two.

In the case when the prime field is finite, so is the quadratic field, and we refer to the article on finite fields. In this article we treat quadratic extensions of the field Q of rational numbers.

In characteristic zero, every quadratic equation is soluble by taking one square root, so a quadratic field is of the form for a non-zero non-square rational number d. Multiplying by a square integer, we may assume that d is in fact a square-free integer.

Ring of integers

As above, we take d to be a square-free integer. The maximal order of F is

unless in which case

Discriminant

The field discriminant of F is d if and otherwise 4d.

Unit group

If d is negative, then the only units in the ring of integers are roots of unity. If d is positive, the unit group has rank one, with a fundamental unit of infinite order.

Class group

Splitting of primes

The prime 2 is ramified if . If then 2 splits into two distinct prime ideals, and if then 2 is inert.

An odd prime p ramifies iff p divides d. Otherwise, p splits or is inert according as the Legendre symbol is +1 or -1 respectively.

Galois group

The extension F/Q is generated by the roots of and both roots lie in the field, which is thus a splitting field and so a Galois extension. The Galois group is cyclic of order two, with the non-trivial element being the field automorphism

If F is a complex quadratic field then this automorphism is induced by complex conjugation.

References